I Didn't Mean To Hurt You: A Reveal Story
by LunettePendragon
Summary: When Adrien figures out who his Ladybug really is, he ends up hurting her in the most unexpected way. How will he handle the situation? Will Ladybug figure out that he knows and will she figure out who he is as well?
1. Prologue: A Job Well Done

"Miraculous ladybug!"

The air filled with red and black magic as everything was instant fixed. Cat Noir picked up his previously broken staff and smiled.

"Another job well done mi'lady." He lifted up his fist towards her waiting for the obligatory 'pound it'. But when he didn't feel her fist hit his he looked up in concern. Ladybug was looking around anxiously as people began to emerge from hiding; clearly looking for someone in particular. It wasn't often he got to see this soft, insecure side of her.

"Ladybug," he said laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure whoever you are looking for is fine. After all, that power of yours is purrrty powerful." She met his gaze and he flashed her the biggest Cat Noir grin he could manage. She snickered slightly.

"Thanks kitty. I'm sure you're right." Her eyes kept glancing around. Cat couldn't help but be jealous of whoever she was so worried about. Looking back at him, Ladybug raised her fist up. "Pound it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Always mi'lady."


	2. Chapter 1: Deja Vu

Adrien casually strolled back into the movie theater lobby and glanced around for his friends. He spied them by the arcade games. Max and Nino were battling it out at the air hockey table while Alya and Marinette stood off to the side. Alya was rubbing Marinette's back and whispering in her ear. However, Marinette didn't even seem to notice. She was looking around, her eyes full of worry just like Ladybug had been just moments earlier.

At first he thought this was odd, but then he shrugged it off. Marinette had every right to be upset. There had been an akuma attack right as they had arrived at the movies. He had quickly split off from the group so he could transform and help Ladybug. The others would have gone for cover. Being Cat Noir, didn't know how frightening it would be to hide and wait out an attack.

Alya was the first to spot him as he walked up to the group. "There he is!" she hollowed to the others.

"Hey man! We were worried about you." Nino added, looking up from the game.

"Yeah, sorry. There was...uh...a girl that needed help finding someone." Adrien explained. It was close enough to the truth that he didn't feel like he was lying. Max took advantage of the distraction and fired the winning shot right past Nino.

"Not cool man! That's cheating!" Adrien turned his attention to the girls as the guys took off into a heated argument.

"See, Marinette. I told you he would be fine." Alya told her friend. Marinette nodded in agreement. She tapped her fingers together awkwardly. Adrien had been friends with her long enough now to recognize the habit and know that she didn't know what to say.

"Were you worried about me, Marinette?" he asked, hoping to break through her shyness.

"No...Yes...I mean...attack akuma...akuma attack...uh..."

He smiled. Classic Marinette. He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, cutting off her babbling. She looked up and met his gaze.

"Thanks for worrying. I'm glad to have a friend that is so concerned for my well being. But everything is fine now. You can relax."

"Yeah cause Ladybug and Cat Noir came to save today," Alya added. "Did you see that crazy maneuver Ladybug did with her yo-yo? I think I got a few good pics of it." She pulled out her phone and started scrolling through images.

"Put the phone away Alya." Nino called, his fight about the air hockey game over. "The movie is going to be starting soon." The group started heading in but Marinette hanged back a bit. Aldrin took a step closer to her and leaned in.

"You know...even if I had been hurt, Ladybug has that 'miraculous' thing that fixes everything." Adrien said softly, wanting to calm her nerves. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"You're right. Her power is purrrty powerful." Her eyes flashed open as if she just realized she had said that out loud. "Pretty." She corrected. "Haha pretty powerful that ladybud...bug...ladybug."

"Hey are you guys coming?" Alya called. Marietta took off towards he friend but Adrien could only watch her go in utter shock. Not only had Marinette made a cat pun, but she had basically quoted what he had said to Ladybug moments earlier.


	3. Chapter 2: Forget Chinese

Adrien tapped his pencil on the yellow notepad in front of him. He was supposed to be doing Chinese homework, but instead he sat in front of a poorly drawn t-chart with two names on top. Ladybug on the left, Marinette on the right.

 _Dark hair…..Dark hair_

 _Bluebell eyes….Bluebell eyes_

 _Worried After Akuma Attack….Worried After Akuma Attack_

 _Would be Late for Class (like me)...Late for Class_

 _Strong…?_

 _Brave…?_

 _Kind….Kind_

 _Confident….Shy_

Adrien stared at the last word on Marinette's side. She was definitely shy. He stuttering, evasive eye-movements, and her inability to really speak her mind was not at all like Ladybug. He circled the word.

"There you go, Adrien." he told himself. "She can't be Ladybug." He put the t-chart into a desk drawer and turned his attention back to Chinese.

But he had heard Ladybug stutter. In fact, he had seen evasive eye-movements too. Not as Cat Noir, but as Adrien. Groaning, he pulled the chart back out and quickly added the thought to Ladybug's side. He drummed his fingers on the desk. Was Marinette always shy? He tried to think of a time when she spoke with confidence. It was hard, but he had overheard her talking to friends without stuttering. Just not to him. He edited his list

 _Shy Around Adrien….Confident with friends_

He thought some more about this and then something clicked.

 _Shy Around Adrien….Shy Around Adrien_

He stared at the words with a new insight. If Marinette was only shy around him, the idea that she was Ladybug wasn't so crazy. But that raised another question in his mind. Why was _Ladybug_ shy around Adrien. He thought back through all the times he had talked to Ladybug without his mask. The more he thought about, the more he started to see it. Ladybug was awkward and shy around him. The one memory in particular came soaring into the front of his mind.

Ladybug had been so quick to surrender her miraculous to Volpina in the moment she thought Volpina was going to drop him from the Eiffel Tower. He hadn't thought much at the time, but he saw now that Ladybug had been really worried about Adrien. And then, earlier, she had been looking for someone at the movies. Could it be that she was looking for Adrien then? After all, Adrien couldn't appear before Cat Noir was gone.

Adrien shook his head in frustration. This wasn't helping. He tore out the chart from the notepad, crumbled it and threw it into the trash can. He picked up the pencil and started writing again.

 _Reasons Why Marinette CAN'T Be Ladybug_

 _She too awkward and shy_

Scratch that out. He didn't know that for sure.

 _I've seen them together_

Scratch that. He hadn't seen them together at the exact same time.

 _Marinette Loves Cat Noir_

Ha! There was his answer. After all, she had confessed to him on the rooftop of her parent's bakery! How could he have forgotten about that? He turned back to his Chinese once again. But his eyes couldn't stay focused.

He leaned back in the chair and lifted the notepad well above his head. If Cat Noir bumped into her right after transforming, Ladybug would do anything to make sure Cat Noir didn't realize who she was. Claiming to be in love with him would certainly do the trick.

There was also that time with the Evillustrator. Ladybug had sent her a picture of Marinette and asked him to protector since she was busy on a 'secret mission'. It wasn't until after Marinette was gone that Ladybug had shown up. And Marinette's quick thinking that had gotten them out of that box was very Ladybug-like. More so, Marinette hadn't been awkward and shy around Cat Noir. He couldn't remember her stuttering even once.

 _You get to be my ladybug._

Could he really have been saying that to the real Ladybug? After all, Marinette's response was a little over the top. He had figured it was just the excitement of working alongside Cat Noir, but maybe not.

Adrien stood and walked over to the trash can and pulled out the t-chart. He smoothed it out and stared at it again.

 _Shy._

It was the one word he kept coming back to. As long as Marinette was a shy, awkward teenager, Adrien could never see her as Ladybug. But if she wasn't normally shy….well...that was a different case altogether. And the thought of being this close to finding the love of his life, in real life, told him he had to figure this out. And he knew just the person to talk to.


	4. Chapter 3: Operation Shy

The next morning, Adrien made sure to arrive at school earlier than usually. Thankfully, Marinette hadn't arrived. Alsa was standing in the corner typing on her phone. He walked up to her glancing around to see if Nino or anyone else for that matter was around.

"Hi Alya!" He said, giving her a wave and a smile.

"Oh hey, Adrien! You're here early today." she smiled at him, phone still in her hand.

"Yeah, I..uh...I wanted to talk to you about something. But it's kinda...private." He scratched the back of his neck. This was super uncomfortable, but he had to figure this thing out. It had kept him up half the night and he knew he wasn't going to be able to focus on class until he got some more information.

"Yeah? Sure, what's up?" Alya looked concerned as she slipped the phone back into her pocket, giving Adrien her full attention. He glanced around to make sure they were alone before continuing in a quiet voice.

"It's about Marinette." Alya's eyes grew wide, but he didn't let that stop him, "Is she...is she always so...shy?"

"Um…" Alya's face was hard to read.

"It's just that she is always stuttering and never looks me in the eye when I talk to her. I was just wondering if it was just me or…"

"Oh, it's just you." She answered, cutting him off. "For sure."

"What does that mean? Am I imagining it or something?"

"No. I mean, she's really only like that around you." Ayla was staring straight into his eyes, like she was waiting for him to notice something, but she didn't say anything else.

"But why?"

"Look, I can't answer that." Ayla was glancing about, but they were still alone, "Just think about that for a minute."

"Why can't you answer that? Is she afraid of me?" Adrien's mind was spinning. If Marinette was only shy around him, that must mean she was more confident around others. Which also meant she was more likely to be Ladybug.

"I just can't," Alya shook her head, "but no, she isn't afraid of you. Well...maybe more like afraid of a certain reaction from you." Her face looked pained. She wanted to tell him, he could see that. He tapped his chin and tried to think of why Marinette was only like that around him.

"Come on, Adrien," Alya was getting frustrated with his lack of answer. "Think about it. Why would a girl be shy around you? It's not because your mean but because you are so…" She leaned in, wanting him to fill in the blank.

"Um...nice?" He took a wild guess.

"YES!" she nearly screamed it at him. "You're really nice, sweet, charming...a hansom model...a girl just might…" The pieces started falling into place in Adrien's mind.

"Like me?" Certainly he was way off base, but Alya's grin said otherwise.

"Uh-hu...and Marinette is shy around you because….?"

"Uh...she likes…" Adrien froze as the answer became clear to him. Or course. How could he have been so blind! "She likes me."

"FINALLY! Man you are so freakin' dense! Even worse than Nino if might say. Just remember, I didn't tell you anything. You figured it out all on your own. Right?" Ayla grabbed his shirt and pulled him in close, her other hand formed a fist mid-air. A threat.

"Right, yes. Of course Alya." She relaxed and let go of him. "You would never betray your best friend's trust."

"Exactly. Even if it was in her best interest." She winked at him. Marinette was lucky to have a good friend like Alya by her side.

"Thanks, Alya. That explains a lot." He smiled and walked off to the locker room. It might explain Marinette's behavior, but it didn't explain if she was Ladybug or not. In fact, it just made the question all the more complicated. He opened his locker and started unpacking his bag.

Still, Marinette had a crush on him. Why didn't he see it earlier? But of course, he knew the answer. He only had eyes for Ladybug. Had he accidentally overlooked his true love? But if Marinette really was Ladybug that meant….he froze. His heart started to race. If Marinette loved Adrien….and Marinette was Ladybug...that meant Ladybug loved Adrien. Now he really had to figure this out.

Adrien groaned and grabbed his notebook. So much for being able to focus in class.


	5. Chapter 4: Finally, the Truth

Adrien collapsed on his bed and closed his eyes. School had been painful. Sitting right in front of Marinette had just about killed him. The thought that Ladybug could have been right there, within arms length made his heart ache. He watched Marinette closely during breaks. She was always with friends talking and laughing. She seemed so at ease. She cheered up a friend at lunch. Helped someone pick up their books when the tripped. She even told a few jokes that he happened to overhear. They were pretty funny. Marinette really was kind, confident, and funny. Just like Ladybug. Could they really be the same person?

Adrien noticed that he hadn't heard the cabinet where he stored cheese open yet. Which meant Plagg wasn't eating. He opened his eyes. His suspicion was right. Plagg was hovering over his head staring at him with thin, peering eyes.

"Yes?" Adrien asked the kwami, wondering what was wrong with him.

"What was all that this morning?"

"This...morning?"

"Yeah man. What was with all the questions about Marinette? And don't think I didn't notice you spying on her every chance you got!"

 _Shit._ Adrien thought to himself. Plagg had caught on. If he knew what Adrien was really up too, he wouldn't be happy.

"I just wanted to know why she has such a hard time talking to me. That's all." He tried to keep his voice calm and relaxed, like nothing else was going on.

"Do you really expect me to believe that? And IF that's the case, why all the spying, huh?"

"Look, Plagg," Adrien sat up on the bed and looked straight into the kwami's eyes with a straight face. "Yesterday, she was really worried about me after the akuma attack. Today, I found out she has a crush on me. Is it so bad if I'm a little bit interested in her?"

"But what about Ladybug?" The kwami was definitely not buying this. Adrien sighed.

"She's in love with someone else, Plagg. Remember?"

"Yeah, but you've never let that bother you before."

"Well...it wouldn't hurt for me to look into other girls, would it? Besides, maybe it's time to give up on this fantasy."

"But Marinette. Really? 'Miss A-a-a-adrein….c-c-c-c-ould I borrow a pencil?' _That girl?_ "

"Oh come on. She isn't that bad! Marinette is really cool." He didn't have to fake the irritation in his voice.

"Sorry," Plagg raised both his paws in a defensive gesture. "I'm just saying, you could do a lot better."

"Are you trying to talk me out of liking Marinette?" The kwami's eyes opened wide.

"No…" he said softly. Adrien smiled at him, knowing that Plagg was lying.

"No!" He repeated, more firmly. "I'm just looking out for you. That's all. I don't think dating Marinette would be a good idea."

 _So he does know something._ Adrien thought to himself. Then he remembered, Plagg _must_ know who Ladybug really was. Adrien might have had his eyes closed when she de-transformed while Dark Owl had them cornered, but Plagg would have seen her. And if Ladybug _was_ Marinette, of course Plagg wouldn't want them dating!

"It's not a good idea, you say? Why not exactly?" Adrien leaned in closer. Plagg was starting to tremble.

"Because she's...she's…"

"She's…?"

"She's...not pretty enough! Yeah! You're a supermodel! Marinette is just...blah." Plagg smiled at himself.

"I see. So you're saying she's ugly." Adrien had to catch him off guard if he was going to figure out what he knew. "I wonder if Ladybug's kwami would say the same thing."

"Nah, Tikki thinks Marinette is beautiful."

"So, Tikki knows Marinette then?" _Checkmate, Plagg._ Adrien thought to himself. The kwami's eyes darted around the room, searching for an explanation.

"Uh...uh…yeah...you see...uh…"

"Oh Plagg…" Adrien said in a sing-song voice. "What are you hiding?"

"Nah….Nothing. I'm not hiding anything."

"Oh yes you are! Does this have to do with Ladybug?"

"NO!" The emphatic answer was more than enough proof.

"Ah, I see. So Marinette really IS Ladybug then?"

"I DID NOT SAY THAT!" The horror on Plagg's face was hilarious to Adrien.

"Oh, you most certainly did! And I'm going to tell Tikki!" This was it, the final push.

"OH GOD NO!" Plagg began darting around the room. "Do not say that! Do not say a single thing to her! She will KILL MEEEE! Do you understand? KILL ME!"

The little kwami grabbed Adrien's collar and burst into tears.

"Please, I'm begging you! Do not tell anyone that you know Marinette is Ladybug!"

And there it was. Adrien had the truth. He patted the kwami on the head gently.

"There, there. I won't say anything. Why don't just go have some cheese? I'm sure you're starving."

Plagg let go of Adrien and backed up.

"Wait a minute….did you just….did you just?"

"Get you to tell me who Ladybug is? Yes, yes I did Plagg. And I don't regret it."

Adrien stood up and walked over to his desk. He turned on the monitor of his computer. And image of Ladybug appeared on the screen.

 _Finally,_ Adrien thought. _Finally, I know who you are!_ But then his heart sank. She loved Adrien, but hated Cat Noir. If Marinette got to know Adrien more, would she not like him? Cat Noir was a part of him. Having a second identity had given Adrien the change to let everything go. He didn't have to hold back his thoughts when he was Cat Noir. He didn't have to worry about upholding his family's image and pride. He could just be himself. If he were to date a girl, he would want to be himself around her. But would Marinette like that? Marinette had fallen for _Adrien_. The ever composed Adrien Agreste. Adrien sighed. Was it asking too much for her to love both sides of him?

"You ok, kid?" Plagg floated over towards him. He still hadn't eaten, which told Adrien that Plagg was really worried about him.

"She loves me, Plagg. But only as Adrien. Not as Cat Noir."

"And you love her as Ladybug and not Marinette." His face was serious, calm.

"But I didn't know they were the same person! How was I supposed to know when she is so nervous around me? How was I suppossed to fall in love with her?"

"Plus, you only wanted Ladybug."

"That's true." Adrien thought about this for a minute. "Do you think it could be the same for her? That she only has eyes for Adrien, so she doesn't even notice Cat Noir?"

"I don't know kid. You would have to ask her." Plagg shrugged his shoulders and Adrien frowned.

"I thought you didn't want me to date her."

"Well, I didn't want you finding out who she was. I mean, oh gods, Tikki is going to kill me." He paused to take a deep breath, "Look, you two were made for each other. It's why you make such a good crime-fighting duo, ok? Now, I didn't tell you this, but, as you have figured out, Marinette likes you. I honestly can't believe you didn't know before today, but IF you can look past her awkwardness, I'm sure you will find the Ladybug you know and love. And I'm sure that if she looked past all your over-the-top corniness and outrageous flirting, she would she the Adrien she knows and loves in Cat Noir."

Adrien was shocked. Plagg was actually giving him love advice. And it actually made sense. If he dated Marinette, she would get the chance to get to know him better. Eventually, she may come to love his corny puns and heartfelt flirting. And the more comfortable she got around him, she would stop stuttering and being so damn shy.

"So...do you think I should ask her out?"

"WHAT? NO! Are you crazy! If you two start dating she is sure to figure out who you really are and then TIKKI WILL SKIN ME ALIVE!"

"So, that's a yes then?" Adrien smilled. He loved getting Plagg worked up.

"NO! DO YOU NOT HEAR ME?"

"I hear you, I hear you. But trust me, I'll make sure she doesn't find out. AND Tikki will never find out that you told me, deal?"

"But...but…"

"No buts. I'm going to ask her out. He looked back at the image of Ladybug. "I'm going to ask out mi'day."

 _And this time,_ he thought to himself, _she's going to say yes!_


	6. Chapter 5: The Ask

**Hey, quick thanks to everyone who has been reading this! It's been a long time since I wrote fanfiction, but after discovering this series I just had to write about these characters! So far, this story this story has been from Adrien's point of view, but now it's Marinette's turn! I had a lot of fun coming up with her inner** **dialogue for this chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

Marinette dashed into the school building. The final bell was going to ring any minute. Even without her Ladybug duties, she still couldn't manage to get to school on time.

 _Why,_ she thought _Why did I keep watching that Adrien commercial? I mean, I know he's dreamy but I seriously need to start getting to school on time for once!_

Right as the final bell began to ring, she slid into the classroom and managed to trip, landing on her face.

"Uuuuh" she moaned, but at least she wasn't late.

"Close one, Marinette," She looked up to see Adrien's face smiling down at her. He was holding out his hand to help her up. She took it and let him pull her to her feet.

"Uh, um, th-thanks." She could tell she was blushing and had to look away from his bright green eyes.

"Everyone, that was the bell! Take your seats!" Miss Bustier called.

Marinette dashed to her seat without giving Adrien a second glance. Once she was in her place, she found the courage to look up. He had taken his seat right in front of her. His gorgeous blond hair looked perfect, as always. Alya nudged her.

"That's one way to catch his attention, girl!" she whispered "Fall flat on your face in front of him."

"Alright students, take out your textbooks and turn to Chapter 5 please," Miss Bustier started writing things on the board.

Marinette watched as Adrien turned to grab his book from his bag in the seat beside him. As he did so, he glanced back at Marinette. They locked eyes and he smiled. As he turned to face the front, Marinette let out a slow, deep breath. Then she opened her book and tried to focus on class.

 _Adrien smiled at me._ She thought. _He smiled. At me!_

The morning session seemed endless. Marinette listened, took notes, but she couldn't help but stare at Adrien half the time. His new tv commercial kept replaying in mind over and over. When the first break came, she dashed outside to get some fresh air.

"Pull yourself together, girl" she told herself, "You have to get your grades up! Otherwise you'll be grounded!" _And I won't get to hang out with Adrien._ She added silently.

"I could help you study, if you want."

The voice startled her, making her jump. She turned to see Adrien, who had apparently followed her.

"I mean," he scratched the back of his neck "It would be horrible if you got grounded and we couldn't hang out anymore."

 _Can he read minds! No, that's silly. Or maybe not. Crap! What did he say? Study? Oh, no. I need to say something. SAY SOMETHING!_

"Uh, hi! Uh, yeah, study. I should do that. More. Study you… I I I mean study WITH you. Yes. That..," she sighed. She really was hopeless. _Take a deep breath._ She told herself. _Get a grip._ "Yes, I would like to study with you. Very much."

"Awesome. Do you want to meet in the library after school? Today?"

Marinette's heart froze. She couldn't breath. Was this really happening?

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Great. So, um. I actually came out here because I wanted to ask you something else."

 _Something else? He has MORE to say to me? OMG OMG OMG..._

"I had a great time with you at the movies this weekend, I was hoping we might be able to go again this weekend." He smiled at her.

"Uh, sure. I'll ask Alya if she's free and then…"

"No," he said, cutting her off, "I mean, I thought we could just go. Just the two of us."

"J-just us?" _Go to the movies? Alone? With ADRIEN?_ Marinette's mind started spinning. _Wait, i_ _s he asking me out on a date?_

"Yeah, I thought it could be, you know, a date?" He grinned at her. _FREAKING MIND READER! GAH! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

"Unless," he continued, frowning slightly, "You don't want to go. Alone, that is. I would be more than happy to go a gro…"

"NO!" Marinette almost shouted. "No, I w-want to go. With you. Date." She looked down at the ground. She wasn't sure how much longer her knees were going to hold. But then she saw his face smiling up at her.

Adrien had crouched down so he could look up at her eyes. His posture reminded her slightly of Cat Noir for a split second. He even cocked his head slightly. But she quickly pushed the thought away.

"Ok," he said, "Friday? I'll pick you up? At the bakery?" She nodded, knowing she wasn't going to be able to form anymore words. "What time would be best?"

 _Answer, Marinette, ANSWER HIM GOD DAMMIT!_

"Ah...eight?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper. Adrien smiled and stood up. Her eyes followed him.

"Sounds great." he said. He put a hand on her shoulder, just like he did a few days ago. "Thank you, Marinette. For saying yes." He turned to head back into the building. "Don't forget about the library!" He called over his shoulder as he turned the corner and disappeared.

"Uh-hu." she said to the air. "Uh, Tikki…" the little kwami flew out of her purse and hovered right in front of her.

"Good job, Marinette! Adrien ask you on a date and you managed to accept! You're getting better at this!"

"I-I am, aren't I?" Her heart started to beat again as the initial shock wore off.

"Yes! And he actually asked you out twice!"

"Twice?" Marinette asked, not sure what she was saying.

"Uh, yeah. You're going to the movies with him this weekend AND you are studying together after school."

Marinette's jaw dropped. Tikki was right. She had TWO dates with Adrien. Before she could even stop herself or check to see if anyone was around to hear, she screamed in pure bliss.

Adrien chuckled as he hid behind the corner. Based on what Alya had said the day before, he had figured she would say yes, but this reaction was a little over the top. To think, he could have done this so much sooner if he hadn't been so dense. He knew it wasn't right to listen in as she talked with Tikki, but he couldn't help himself. After all, he had to make sure Marinette wouldn't suspect anything. He had promised Plagg that he wouldn't let her find out he was Cat Noir. It was going to be hard to keep it from her, but knowing how happy she was, and how happy he felt, made the challenge worth it. He would do whatever it took to keep his lady this happy forever.


	7. Chapter 6: Study Date

Marinette told Alya the good news over the lunch break. They had both walked over to her parents bakery and had ate their lunch in Marinette's room.

"So, let me get this straight. Adrien asked you, out of the blue, on TWO DATES?" Alya had been hanging onto her friend's every word.

"Yeah, well, I mean, one isn't really a date. Is it? He's just going to help me study in the library."

"Girl, sounds like a date in my book. I mean, I know Adrien is one of the top students in our class, but it isn't like he goes around offering to tutor everyone one."

"I guess so. But he heard me talking to myself about my grades. My parents will ground me if I don't get them up."

"And then you couldn't go to the movies with Adrien! Well, that makes sense. He has to get your grades up so he can date you!" Alya cracked up laughing and so did Marinette. Adrien really did have a good reason to help her study.

"But, Alya….what do I wear? What if I say something stupid? What if….?" Alya cut her off.

"Marinette! You need to chill. He likes you. He wouldn't have asked you out if he didn't! So chill and relax. Don't think about things. Just trust your heart. You'll be fine."

"Because that worked so well in the past?" Marinette asked. She wasn't as confident in herself as Alya was.

"Well...you did manage to get him to like you, didn't you?"

"I guess…"

"Then chill. Today, just study and focus on getting a good grade on the history test this week, ok? We can worry about what to wear for the movies tomorrow."

"So, you'll help me? Pick out clothes?"

"YES! Of course I will. What are best friends for?" Alya smiled warmly, then glanced around the room. "But if you are seriously going to date Adrien, I would take down at least some of these photos."

Marinette glanced around the room at her 'Adrien collection' as her friends called it and grimaced. "Haha, yeah. You might be right about that one."

"Besides, you'll need room to put up pictures of you together." Marinette frowned and threw a pillow at Alya. Alya laughed and threw one back. Marinette laughed too, but when she saw the clocked she panicked.

"Ayla! We gotta hurry! We're going to be late!"

The rest of the day passed slowly. Occasionally, Adrien would look over his shoulder and smile at Marinette, which she found extremely distracting. But, it also made her extremely happy and encouraged her to take good notes.

When class was over, she said goodbye to Alya and turned to head walk over the the library.

"You ready?" Adrien was waiting for her. Nodding, she walked along beside him. "So, what subject do you need to work on?"

"His...History," she said meekly.

"You missed a few classes, am I right?" He asked, glancing over at her. She nodded. She had missed several classes due to Ladybug business and her grade had been slipping because of it. "It's alright. You're smart. We will have you caught up in no time."

As they walked, Marinette couldn't believe how good it felt to be beside him. Part of her really wanted to hold his hand, but her nerves kept both hands clinging to her backpack. Once they arrive and found a good table to sit at, Adrien pulled out his textbook and a black and green striped notebook.

"I missed a few classes too," he confessed "But Natalie, my dad's assistant, is a good tutor. I'll share my notes from her with you. And then maybe we can work through the questions at the end of each chapter."

"I have some notes from Alya," she added. Surprising herself that she said anything without stammering.

"Good. We can look at those, too." There was something in his smile that relaxed her. It was genuine, handsome.

Why is he so perfect? Why is he even interested in me? What is happening here?

Marinette's mind kept spinning in circles until it finally went into overload.

"Why did you ask me out?" Marinette blurted a little too loudly. Adrien jumped slightly at the outburst. Marinette quickly covered her mouth with both hands. She closed her eyes in embarrassment. Really, Marinette? She scolded herself Did you really just say that? God, I am so stupid! He is going to hate me now for sure and we will never get married, have three kids...

A soft touch pulled one of her hands away. She opened her eyes to see Adrien holding it in both of his hands. He was staring at her with an intensity in his eyes that almost scared her.

"Listen, Marinette," he said softly, "I know you might not understand this, or even believe it, but I have had a crush on you for a long time. I just...I just didn't pursue anything because...because I didn't want to risk the friendship we already had. But I've known you longer now. I've seen how awesome you are. You are kind, considerent, smart, funny..." He closed his eyes and caressed her fingers gently. "I want to get to know you even more. I want to know everything about this amazing girl sitting right here in front of me." He looked up at her, his face almost pained. "I like you, Marinette. I like every part of you. I know that you feel a little shy around me, but you don't need to be. You don't need to be worried or anxious. I like you...all of you."

Her heart was racing. Was she really hearing this right? Was Adrien really holding her hand so tenderly?

"Even...even when I stammer?" She asked quietly. He nodded.

"Or when I fall in my face?"

"Especially when you fall," he blushed, "It gives me the chance to hold your hand to help you up. Although, I would much rather catch you so I could hold you."

"You...want to...hold me?" The thought of Adrien holding her made her feel like she was going to faint.

"Is that so surprising? I already told you that I liked you, Marinette."

"I...I like you too, Adrien." She said it. The words she had been dying to say to him for years. But in this moment. With him holding her hand, telling her all these sweet things, she could finally say them with ease. A broad smile formed on his face. His green eyes sparkled and he laughed slightly.

"What?" she asked, "What's so funny?" He shook his head.

"I just can't believe you like me, that's all."

"WHAT? Why wouldn't I like you? I mean, you're...you're…" she couldn't find the right words to say.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You are amazing Marinette. You're like...our everyday Ladybug." he had indeed said this before, but to hear it again in such an intimate setting made her heart skip a beat. "You're always going out of your way to help people. You're…" His smile shifted into a mischievous grin. She leaned back, not sure what was about to happen.

"You're…" he whispered "...bug-tastic."

Marinette burst into laughter which got a very loud "shh" from the librarian in their direction. Adrien waved and mouthed 'sorry' while Marinette regained control of herself. She was positive her face was a bright, deep red, but the stupid pun had really put her at ease.

"I'm sorry," she whispered once she caught her breath. "But did you really just say 'bug-tastic'?"

"Too corny?" he asked, looking concerned, "I'm sorry...I…"

"No, no" she said, cutting him off, "It's just that...I didn't expect that….from you." From Cat Noir, maybe, but not Adrien.

He nodded, smiling. "Ok, then. Let's get to work shall we?"

"Yeah, let's…" but Marinette was cut off by a loud explosion outside. It was followed by several car alarms and a lot of screaming voice. "An akuma attack?" she wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Adrien answered, "Stay here, I'll go check it out"

"No, I…" She started to argue, but he was already gone.

Better this way anyway, she thought even though she hated seeing Adrien run towards the danger. She grabbed her purse and slipped in between a row of bookshelves that had a window. If she wanted Adrien to be safe, it was best to end the situation quickly. And to do that, she needed to be Ladybug.

"Okay, Tikki," she said, opening her purse, "Spots on!"


	8. Chapter 7: Old Routine, New Perspective

Cat Noir rolled out of the way as another large pepperoni came flying towards him.

"That all you got, Pizza-man?" He teased, trying to distract him while the civilians ran for shelter.

"I told you, my name is PizzaGros!" The akumatized victim, which looked like a huge blob of mozzarella with a face and arms, roared and launched several blobs of cheese his way.

"Well you got one thing right! You sure are GROSS!" Cat Noir used his staff to boost himself out of harm's way.

 _Ladybug, what is taking you so long?_ Cat Noir glanced towards the library, waiting for her to appear. He thought she would have been right behind him, but Marinette still hadn't come out. _Maybe she went out the back?_

A giant piece of sausage was headed his way. Roll, jump, cover, laugh at villain. It was an easy routine that he had down by heart, but he needed a plan. He needed Ladybug.

"Watch out!" he heard a familiar voice call out from behind him as a black olive bounced towards him, which he easily dodged.

"Well, hey there pretty lady! Mind giving this guy a _pizza_ your yo-yo?"

"Not now, kitty!" Ladybug snapped, completely focused on the task on hand.

He frowned. _Sure, laugh at Adrien's puns, but not Cat Noir's_. _Great, now I'm jealous of myself!_

"Do you know where the akuma is?" She asked, not even looking at him. She was standing there, yo-yo swinging, gazing towards the villain, no doubt taking in every detail. She had never looked so beautiful in her suit. He couldn't quite figure out why though. What was different?

"Not sure, milady" he replied. "He has been trapping people in mounds of cheese." He gestured to those who were already trapped. She nodded. They both took evasive maneuvers while another round of pizza toppings flew their way.

"Ok, I think I have a plan. Cat Noir, you try to sneak around back. I'll keep him distracted. Wait for my signal."

He nodded and took off to the left. Ladybug started taunting Pizzagros drawing his fire away from Cat Noir. He looked on in amazement as she easily dodged his attacks by either moving away or using her yo-yo to knock the objects out of the sky. He had seen her fight hundreds of times, but this time seemed different.

 _Of course,_ he realized as he closed in on his new position, _I've never seen her fight knowing who was behind the mask._ The knowledge that this was Marinette, the clumsy, shy girl who sat behind him in class, mesmerized him. He crouched low and waited for the signal. She dodged another pepperoni and threw her yo-yo towards Pizzagros. It wrapped around one of his arms. Ladybug dove to the right, dragging the arm along with her.

"Cat Noir! The spoon in his left hand!" She called to him. He looked but had trouble spotting it. "It's buried in the cheese." There, he spotted it. He raised his hand so Ladybug would he had spotted the object, without giving away his position. Soon she had the other arm lassoed as well. "Now!"

"Cataclysm!" He called as he dashed forward. At the same time Ladybug jumped into the air, pulling both of the villain's arms straight into the air, giving Cat Noir a perfect shot. He felt the spoon turn to dust in his hand.

"Gotcha," he mused. But no akuma appeared. He turned to face Pizzagros just in time to see him throw both his arms to the left, slamming Ladybug into the side of the one of the buildings lining the street. "Ladybug!" He sprinted over towards her, praying he would get there in time. Fear raced through his heart. _Don't be hurt. Don't be hurt._

He managed to get under right as she was about to hit the ground. While it wasn't as graceful as a catch as he had hoped for, he managed to stop her from hitting the pavement.

"Thanks, Cat," she said weakly. She rose to her feet, clutching her right arm.

"You're hurt!." he reach out towards her but she pulled back.

"It's not that bad. But we need to take him down. Any idea where the akuma really is?"

He glanced over the blog of cheese who was frantically trying to detangle himself from Ladybug's yo-yo.

"No, and with your yo-yo tied up you can't grace us with a little charm." He looked around, trying desperately to come up with a plan. Then he spied a pizza parlor across the street. "Hey, milady, where does pizza comes from in the first place?"

"The oven!" she answered. "You're such a smart kitty." Cat blushed at the compliment. "But you already used your cataclysm. How will we break a pizza oven?"

Cat Noir's ring flashed. He was running out of time. "Don't worry about that. Think you can keep him busy for a few minutes?"

"No problem," she said, winking.

Cat Noir raced across the street and slipped into the restaurant. Outside he could hear Pizzagros struggling to get out of the yo-yo. As long as he was tied up, he wouldn't have to worry about Ladybug getting hurt any worse than she already was.

"Plagg, claws in." The little kwami appeared before him. Adrien quickly grabbed a piece of cheese from his pocket and shoved it at him. "Here, eat up. And hurry!"

"But cheese needs to be savored," Plagg protested, but he did as he was told and immediately started chewing. Adrien ran to the back of the kitchen. Sure enough, there was a large pizza oven. He could feel the evil presence radiating from it. There _had_ to be an akuma in there.

"Plagg!" he hollered over his shoulder. He heard the kwami mutter something as he continued chewing. There was a small window and Adrien peered back out onto the street. Pizzagros was free of the yo-yo and had resumed attacking Ladybug. She was dodging the attacks, but she was still clutching her arm. Was it broken? Worse, she wasn't even attempting to use her yo-yo. "PLAGG!" Adrien's heart began to race. He needed to get back out there. He needed to protect Marinette!

He watched helplessly as she bounced around, dodging attacks for what seemed like forever. Her right arm hung motionless at her side. _It has to be broken. Oh, God, I never should have left her out there!_

"Lucky charm, Ladybug!" he begged out loud, knowing there was no way he could hear her. "Lucky charm, PLEASE!" He wanted so badly to run out there and stand by her side again, but she was counting on him to take down the pizza oven.

Finally she spun her yo-yo straight into the air. He couldn't hear her, but he knew she was calling up a lucky charm. Without his cat-like eyesight, he had trouble making out what she had. She continued dodging attacks while glancing about, no doubt trying to figure out what to do with the charm.

Adrien wasn't sure how much of this his heart could take, but then she finally landed on top of a fire hydrant. Water started sprouting from it with incredible force. The water hit Pizzagros directly in the face, pushing him back. _That's my girl_ , he thought with a smile, but he also knew that it wouldn't last for long.

"PLAGG?" he bellowed again. The water pressure was already going down. It wouldn't be long until Ladybug was back in danger.

"Ok I'm-" Adrien didn't wait for Plagg to finish.

"Plagg, claws out!"

"Bye-bye little butterfly," Ladybug watched as the small, white butterfly flew into the air.

"Are you alright, mi'lady?" Cat Noir asked, "Let me see your arm." He pulled her right arm out towards him and began running his claw up and down it, inspecting for damage. She winced at the pain it cause.

"I'm fine, Cat," she snapped, taking back her arm, "it's just a little bruised."

"But...Ladybug, you're hurt." His green eyes looked misty, full of concern and worry. She hadn't meant to sound so mean, but she really wanted to get back to Adrien. Ladybug felt guilty for trying to brush him off, though. Cat Noir was a good friend and he was really worried about her. She sighed.

"Look...I'm sorry. Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm fine. I will have my arm looked at, if it will make you feel better. But I need to get going."

"Promise?" He looked like he was begging. _What is with him today?_ She wondered. _I've been hurt before, and much worse!_ But he had never looked so worried before. _Well, except maybe when we fought Animan and I jumped into that dino's mouth._

"I promise," she said softly. Suddenly her earrings beeped for the second time since using her lucky charm. "Time to go. Bug out!" She dashed from view. It was only after she was gone that she realized that they hadn't pounded it out. _Ach, I'll get him later. Right now, I have to find Adrien!_

Adrien took a deep breath before entering the library. _You don't know anything about her arm._ He told himself. _You couldn't get back into the library. You were hiding the whole time. You are NOT Cat Noir!_

He pushed to front door of the library open. Marinette was waiting for him at the table they had previously been sitting at, still clutching her arm. _Not that bad, huh? You might not have let Cat Noir take a look at it, but Adrien won't let you get away so easily!_

"Marinette!" he called. _Be cool, Adrien, be cool._ "Are you ok? Are you hurt? Why are you holding your arm like that? Let me look!"

Marinette tried to cut him off, but he didn't let her. He grabbed her arm and shoved back the sleeve of her denim jacket. Bruised. Not broken, but bruised.

"I'm fine, Adrien. I just fell when a...a glob of cheese came flying in the window." Adrien studying the bruises, brushing them gently with his fingers. Marinette winced in pain. The Miraculous Ladybug fixed almost all wounds caused by akuma. For there to be this much bruising leftover meant that it must have been broken when Cat Noir left her side.

"I'm so sorry, Marinette. I should have never left your side." He pulled her in close and buried his face in her shoulder, trying not to cry in front of her.

"Uh...it's...it's ok, Adrien" she whispered. After a moment, he felt her wrap her arms around him. Her embrace was warm and comforting. He surrendered to it. He held her tightly, but was careful to not hurt her.

 _I'm never going to leave your side again, mi'lady._


	9. Chapter 8: Best Day Ever

Marinette sat in her room staring at one of her images of Adrien. After their tender embrace, Adrien had redirected them to studying. He had been patient and encouraging while he had quizzed her over the material. Like he had said, it wasn't that hard for her to catch up. Eventually, his driver had shown up and he had to leave. She had been offered a ride, but chose to walk instead, not sure how much more time with Adrien she could handle. But now, in the safety of her room, she missed him.

"So…." Tikki was sitting on her desk munching on a macaroon. "Did you want to talk about it?"

"What is there to say, Tikki? It was…. _sigh_...amazing…" she traced lightly caressed the picture. It was from a perfume ad from about six months ago.

"I'm so happy for you, Marinette! It sounds like he really likes you." Tikki said in between bites.

Marinette blushed. Adrien's words had been so sweet and reassuring. Unlike hers. She frowned. She had sounded like a complete idiot talking to him.

"Tikki?" she questioned, "How stupid did I sound?"

"You didn't sound stupid, just nervous." Tikki answered, putting the macaroon down. She flew over and perched on Marinette's hand. "But less so than normal! And after that hug, you hardly stammered at all! I was proud of you!"

"Yeah…" she sighed deeply at the memory of Adrien's embrace. He had been so concerned for her. Even the memory of his arms pulling her closer took her breath away. She couldn't remember ever being so comfortable as when his arms squeezed her tight, her face pressed against his chest. _I could have stayed there forever. He smelled so good._ Her mind drifted off into a daydream of Adrien holding her, telling her how much he loved her. Part memory, part fantasy.

Marinette's phone buzzed, pulling her mind back to the present. It was Ayla.

"Hi, Alya," Marinette said, putting the phone on speaker so she wouldn't have to hold it up.

"Uh...hello? You were supposed to CALL ME!" Marinette glanced at the clock.

"Sorry, Alya. I lost track of time." It was true. She was supposed to call once she was finished with Adrien, which was over an hour ago.

"Before or after your date?"

"After." Marinette confessed. She leaned back in the chair.

"So….how did it go?"

"It was amazing, Alya. I don't even know what to tell you."

"EVERYTHING! Start at the beginning and don't skip a single detail!" Ayla demanded. Marinette laughed, but she started telling her every little thing she remembered. Of course, she had to skip over the Ladybug part and just say she hid under a table instead.

"And then, when Adrien got back…" she was saying when Alya interrupted her.

"Wait wait wait. He _left you_? During an akuma attack?" Alya asked.

"Well...yeah. We weren't sure what was going on, so he went to go check, but then he couldn't get back into the library."

"WHAT? No way. Uh-hu. He shouldn't have left you."

"Alya, it's fine"

"No, it's not Marinette! If Nino left _my_ side during an attack, I would have his neck."

"Alya, no offense, but don't you leave _him?_ To take pictures of Ladybug?"

"That's different! I'm a _blogger_ Marinette. Adrien isn't. Leaving you was a total jerk move."

Marinette frowned. It wasn't like she could tell Alya the real reason she was okay with Adrien leaving her.

"Alya, I said it was fine. Besides I didn't want him to see...how...how...scared I was." Marinette hated lying to her friend, but she didn't want her thinking Adrien was a jerk.

"That's the point, Marinette. If you were scared, he should have been there to hold you!"

"But he did hold me, Alya."

"HE WHAT?" Alya screamed at her through the phone. "Explain. NOW!"

"Well...like I was saying...when he got back he felt really bad about leaving me so...he...he hugged me."

"What?" Alya said in a whisper.

"He hugged me. It was...it was…"

"Sweet?" Alya suggested.

"More like, the best moment of my entire life…" _Maybe...maybe he'll do it again._ Marinette squealed at the thought.

Adrien slumped into the chair at his desk, letting it spin him around a few times.

"Oh, Plagg," he sighed to the kwami who's head was already selected a few pieces of cheese from the cabinet nearby. "Today was the best day of my life."

"Oh, really?" he teased, "Let me guess….does it have something to do with a villain made of CHEESE?!"

Adrien narrowed his eyes at the little trouble-maker.

"Yeah, Plagg. That's why." He answered sarcastically, "It has nothing to do with the fact that Marinette said she likes me."

"Yeah, yeah. So what? You knew she liked you yesterday."

"But today she _told me._ And the way she hugged me...it was…"

"Disgusting! You do realize I was in your shirt pocket, right? I was nearly squished to death!" Adrien chuckled. He hadn't even thought of that. "You're lucky that Marinette didn't notice me."

"I'm sorry, Plagg. Next time, I'll make sure to move you to my bag first."

"Next time?" Plagg shoved a huge piece of camembert into his mouth and swallowed. "So, you plan on doing that again?" He picked up another piece of cheese.

"Mm-hmm," he closed his eyes and nodded. He had loved how she had clung to him. Sure, Marinette had put her arms around him countless times as Ladybug, but never in a loving embrace like this one. "Maybe next time, I'll kiss her too." He grinned. The thought was intoxicating.

"Eww...gross!"

"I didn't say you had to watch, Plagg." he noted, opening an eye to glance over at the kwami "I wonder if she's ever kissed someone before."

"Of course she has."

"WHAT?" he said, turning towards Plagg. His was still eating. "Are you serious? How do you know that?"

"Huh? Or right, I forgot! Hahaha. YOU don't remember!" Plagg burst into a fit of laughter as Adrien recalled the TV interview him and Ladybug had done a while back.

The reporter had shown them an image of them kissing, but, since he had been cursed by Dark Cupid, he didn't remember a single thing about it! Adrien moaned. Plagg was right. She _had_ kissed someone before, _him!_

"HAHAHAH! YOU MISSED YOUR FIRST KISS! That's hysterical!" Adrien felt like a hot knife was being plunged into his heart.

"Oh, shut up already! So what. We'll just have to have _another_ first kiss. A do-over." The kwami continued laughing at him. "Besides, Ladybug _had_ to kiss Cat Noir. It wasn't like she wanted to."

"And you think Marinette wants to kiss Adrien?" Plagg teased, still laughing.

 _God, I hope so._ He thought, but he didn't want to say anything out loud. It wasn't like Plagg was really paying attention to him anyway. Adrien turned to his computer. He flipped on the monitor. His desktop was still an image of Ladybug. _I'll have to get a picture of her as Marinette_. Plagg's laugher finally started to die off as he stared into her bluebell eyes. Adrien reach out and traced the shape of her mouth with his finger. _Would you let me kiss you, Marinette? If I tried?_


	10. Chapter 9: The Princess and the Baker

Adrien took the paper his teacher was handing him. Up in the right hand corner was a bright red 'A'. He wasn't surprised. He slipped the paper into his bag as the final bell rang. He turned and saw Marinette clutching her test.

"So, Mil-Marinette, did you get a good grade or is our date.. _history?_ " He emphasized the pun so she wouldn't notice his slip-up.

 _Crap, that was close!_ he thought. _I need to come up with a new pet name for her when she isn't Ladybug...and FAST!_

Marinette chuckled at the pun while Alya groaned. Marinette turned the paper around so he could see. A minus. He grinned at her.

"So, eight then?" he asked.

"Now, Adiren," Alya interrupted, "If you don't treat Marinette like a freakin' princess tonight, I'm going to have to beat you to a pulp!" She had both hands balled up into fists and wore a mischievous grin on her face.

"ALYA!" Marinette screamed, turning a deep red. Adrien was just about to answer her, but Nino beat him to it.

"Calm down, Ayla," he placed his hands on hers, pushing them down onto the table. "Marinette is going out with my man! And he is ever the gentleman!"

"Besides, Alya," Adrien added, "I don't think Marinette is _like_ a princess, she IS a princess." _My princess. It's perfect, thanks Alya!_ "How could I treat her like anything less?"

He glanced over at Marinette. She looked like she was about to burst. He reached out and grabbed one of her hands, squeezing it tight.

"Fine, fine, fine," Alya muttered pulling Marinette away from him, forcing him to let go. "But we have to go. See you guys tomorrow!" Marinette waved as her friend pulled her out the door. He waved back and sighed. _God, she's beautiful._

"Maaan….I knew you liked her, but you've got it bad, my man!" Nino commented.

"Nino...you have no idea."

 _See you soon, my princess._

Adrien stood outside the bakery holding the small bouquet of roses. He didn't know why he was so nervous. _Deep breaths Agreste_. He told himself. _It's just Marinette. It's just Ladybug. You spend time with her everyday. This is no big deal._ But it was a big deal. He was about to take out his true love for the first time. _And then eventually we will get married, and have three kids, and a hamster...no a CAT! And we'll name it…_

"Uh, kid?" Plagg whispered from his pocket, interrupting his daydream. "You're going to be late."

"Uh, right! Okay, let's do this!" He took a deep breath and walked up to the bakery door. The bakery was still technically open for business. _Do I knock? Do I just go it?_ Adrien was still debating when the door swung open before him. A huge mass of a person blocked the interior from view. Startled, Adrien looked up to meet the gaze of Marinette's father.

"Uh...hi? I'm here to…"

"WELCOME MY BOY!" Tom Dupain scooped Adrien into a giant bear hug. He had to hold the flowers high above his head to prevent them from being crushed as well. "Sabine! Look who it is!"

"Tom, put the boy down. For goodness sakes, he needs air!" Adrien heard Marinette's mother answer from inside the bakery. Tom turned and put Adrien down so that he was standing firmly in the middle of the store. The smell of croissants and macaroons washed over him.

"I'm sorry, Adrien," Sabine was saying, "Tom here gets a little too excited sometimes. Don't you hunny?"

"I can't help it! My baby girl is going on her first date! And look! He brought flowers for her." Mr. Dupain's eyes sparkled with pure joy as he stood on tippy-toe from excitement. Adrien almost laughed.

"Uh...yes. Speaking of Marinette…" he glanced around the bakery, but didn't see her.

"Oh, she'll be down in a moment my dear. Why don't you you have seat upstairs while you wait?" Mrs. Cheng was counting money in the cash register as she pointed to the stairwell behind her which led to their living quarters above the bakery.

"Yes, yes! Come!" Mr. Dupain grabbed Adrien's empty hand and basically dragged him up the stairs. "We can get you a little snack too while you wait."

It wasn't the first time Adrien had been in the Dupain-Cheng family's kitchen. He had visited here as both Adrien and Cat Noir, but the warmth of the family home still took him by surprise. He could feel the love of this small family emanating from every corner. _I hope I can have a home like this, someday._ He wished secretly. _It's so much nicer than my father's cold mansion!_

Mr. Dupain sat Adrien down at the small table and started assembling a plate of tasty treats for him.

"Now, what do you have planned for my little angel this evening?" Marinette's father asked, setting the plate down in front of Adrian. He took a seat across from Adrian.

"We are going to see a movie. I'll have her home by eleven, sir." Adrien said, as he reached for a green macaroon.

"What? No ice cream after? No moonlight stroll?"

Adrien blushed. He had indeed picked a short film to watch so that he could take Marinette for a quick stroll through the park afterwards, hoping to steal a kiss or two, but he couldn't tell her father that.

"We could go for ice cream," he admitted, "But then I might be late getting her back. I wouldn't want you to worry…"

"Nonsense! If you need a little more time for my sweetie pie to have the perfect date, then just say so! Eleven-thirty it is!"

Adrien blushed and shoved the cookie into his mouth. Marinette's father and his couldn't be more different than each other.

"So, Mr. Agreste, you are a model, no? Does that offer good job security? Benefits?" Adrien nearly choked on the macaroon. It wasn't the first time he had been interrogated by Mr. Dupain about his career. Only, last time, it was as Cat Noir, who was only there to tell Marinette he didn't love her. Adrien couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation.

Adrien swallowed the cookie. And thought about how to answer.

"Well...yes. But I'm not sure I will continue to model. Afterall, it requires a lot of hours. Not to mention that I will have to watch how many sweets I eat as I get older." He grinned, reaching for one of the chocolate croissants on the plate.

"Like sweets, my boy, do you?' Mr. Dupain laughed, "Well, you could always come work with me in the bakery! I could teach you how to make the best macaroons in the city!" The older man beamed with pride.

"I think I might like that, Mr. Dupain." Adrian said in between bites. Growing up in a house full of servants, Adrian didn't even know how to boil water, let alone how to make any baked goods. "Do you make cinnamon rolls here? They're my favorite."

"Cinnamon rolls, eh? Or course we make cinnamon rolls! Next time you come to visit, I'll have a fresh batch just for you!"

"Oh, you don't need to…"

"Nonsense, my boy!" Mr. Dupain cut him off. "Besides, my daughter also loves cinnamon rolls." He added with a wink. Adrian took another macaroon from the plate and smiled, realizing how much he liked Marinette's dad.

Just then there was movement upstairs.

"MOM!" Marinette's voice rang through the air, "MOM! Have you seen…?" Her voice drifted off as she turned the corner and spied Adrien sitting at the table with her father. "Uh...uh…"

Adrien waved at her as he finished the macaroon in his mouth. Marinette was wearing a soft, pink blouse embroidered with white flowers and a ruffled skirt that stopped right at her knees. She had pulled her hair back into a bun with a braid running to it across the left side of her face. _How gorgeous._ He noted to himself.

"Hi, Marinette." He said, now that his mouth was empty of sweets. "Are you ready to go?"

"Uh...need...you...SHOES...I mean...I need shoes...for feet...MY feet...oh god…" Marinette turned bright red. Adrien resisted the temptation to laugh.

"Take your time, sweetheart." Her father reassured her. "Adrien and I are having a nice chat. Aren't we, my boy?" Adrien nodded, although he couldn't wait to be alone with her and tell her how beautiful she looked.

"Don't worry, Marinette. I'm a bit early." he assured her with a wink. "Like your father said, take your time. Besides, I'm loving this macaroons!" He grinned at her father as he reached for another one.

"Uh...uh...ok…" she dashed down the stairs towards the bakery. She was only gone a minute before she rushed back upstairs and towards the bedrooms. Marinette's father started telling Adrien the process for making cinnamon rolls as he continued snacking.

 _My agent is going to kill me_ , he thought as he realized just how many cookies he had eaten. _But they are so damn good!_

Finally, Marinette reamerged. She now had on a pair of white sandals and white, cotton jacket.

"I'm...I'm ready now." She said in little more than a whisper. Her mother appeared behind her as Adrien stood, picking up the flowers.

"These are for you," he said holding out the pink roses. "I hope you like roses."

"Of course she does!" her father bellowed behind him, "And pink is her favorite color! You know her so well already my boy!" Adrien blushed. He, of course, had already learned this as Cat Noir on his last visit and had simply recalled it when he went to the florist earlier.

"Th...thank you," Marinette said, taking the flowers from him. She took a moment to smell them.

"Here, dear. I can put those in water for you." her mother offered. Marinette handed the bouquet to her and looked back at Adrien.

"Shall we go then?" He asked her. She nodded. "Thank you for the snack, Mr. Dupain."

"Of course! Come back anytime. Now, you two go and have a good time! Remember, eleven- _thirty_!"

Adrien nodded at him as he followed Marinette down the stairs.


	11. Chapter 10: Date Night

Marinette was careful not to trip on the steps leading out of the bakery. Safely on the ground, she looked back at Adrien.

"I hope you don't mind, but I told my driver we would walk tonight." He smiled at her. "The theatre isn't far and it's so nice out." The weather was indeed perfect.

"No...no problem….I walk….I mean, I don't mind walking." _God, what am I even saying?!_

Adrien smiled at her and offered her his arm saying, "Shall we, my princess?"

 _Did he just call me his princess? Oh, God. Say something Marinette. Say something. Do something. ANYTHING!_

"Marinette?" Adrien asked, looking worried. She still hadn't moved. He glanced down at his arm. "Is something wrong?" He started putting his arm back down.

"NO!" She quickly grabbed his arm before the offer was gone. "I uh...let's go! Haha…" _I'm gonna die._ They started walking down the street, Marinette clinging to his arm for dear life.

"You know, I'm not going anywhere." Adrien said, "You don't have to hang on so tight, although, I can't say I mind."

"Sorry," she said, loosening her grip. "I'm just...just..."

"Nervous?" he asked. _Is it that obvious? Oh, but of course it is._

"Yes," she answered meekly.

"It's ok. Me too." She looked up at him. He was being honest. _What does he have to be nervous about?_

"I've wanted to take you out for so long that, now that I'm doing it, I'm afraid I don't know what to say." He was staring at the ground. They both stopped walking. She stared at him. Shocked to hear this confession from him. He turned and his eyes locked with hers. She was suddenly transported back in time to when Adrien had given her is umbrella. The moment she first started crushing on him.

"I...I don't know what to say either. I never know what to say to you. So I don't say anything."

"I've noticed." he said it with a sly smile. "Why is that, exactly?"

"I don't know. I just...you're so…" Marinette sighed. _I'm totally blowing this._ "You're perfect and I'm just...just…"

"Perfect?" Adrien raised an eyebrow, "You think I'm perfect?"

"Yeah, I mean, your so kind and talented...not to mention you're a model..." She muttered. _God, what am I saying?_

"Hmm...ok. I think I can work with that." He slipped out of Marinette's grasp, reached up and ruffled his hair turning it into a complete mess. To finish off the new look, he untucked his shirt and turned his pockets inside out.

"There! I can't help the kind and talented part, but is this better?" Marinette looked at him head to toe. In truth, he still looked perfect, but the gesture made her smile. "Ha! You're smiling! I got you to smile!" He looked like a kid in a candy store. Laughter bubbled up and out of Marinette's mouth. Adrien laughed too and pulled Marinette closer to his side.

"Come on, Princess," he said as he caught his breath, "Let this not-so-perfect boy take you to a movie, ok?"

"Ok." she answered as they started walking again. She leaned into him.

They walked in silence until they arrived at the teature.

"Wait here," Adrien told her once they stepped inside. "I'll be right back." She watched him as he walked up to the counter. There was a brief exchange that she couldn't hear, but Adrien quickly returned with two tickets and bag of popcorn.

"What are we seeing?" she asked, as he handed her the popcorn.

"It's a surprise." He said with a grin. Marinette laughed.

"Ok. If you say so!" He led her deeper inside the theatre and together picked out two seats somewhat towards the back. The theatre was mostly empty.

"There's not a lot of people here." Marinette noted once they had sat down.

"Nope. This is an old movie and they don't play it very often. It might not be popular, but it's one of my favorites."

"An old movie? What do you like so much about it?"

"The hero," he answered simply, grabbing a handful of popcorn and tossing it into his mouth. "You could say he's one of my idols. This movie is actually the reason I took up fencing."

"Really?" Marinette grabbed a piece of popcorn for herself, hoping he would tell her more.

"Yeah, but don't worry, it's not an action movie or anything. If I'm honest, it's actually more of a romance." He blushed. "Please don't tell everyone that I like romantic movies."

Marinette chuckled.

"Ok, I won't."

"Thanks...bu...princess."

The lights dimmed as the movie started to play. On the screen Marinette read "The Mark of Zorro". _He wasn't kidding when he said old!_ She thought.

The film was in shot in black and white. The actors spoke English, but French subtitles were provided. Marinette knew enough English that, for the most part, she didn't have to read them. She watch in amazement as the plot unfolded. It didn't take long for her to see why Adrien liked the film, or why it inspired him to start fencing.

But the main hero reminded her of another masked fighter. _Has Cat Noir seen this movie?_ She wondered. She watched in amazement as Don Diego flirted with his love. _If Cat is trying to imitate this guy, he's doing a pretty poor job of it! What a sec. I'm on a date with ADRIEN! Why am I thinking about Cat!_

She cautiously glanced over at Adrien, he was leaning forward in his chair, face in his hands, silently mouthing words. _What is he doing? Wait...is he quoting the movie? Oh, my, God. He knows every word!_

Marinette chuckled under her breathe. He looked up at her suddenly.

"Stop it," he muttered.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But how many times have you seen this?" Even in the dimly lit theatre, Marinette could see his blush deepen. He put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Shhh...watch the movie." Marinette turned back towards the screen and, after a moment, leaned her head on Adrien's shoulder. He squeezed her even tighter and Marinette relished the feeling.

"But did you see that sword fight at the end?" Adrien asked after the movie. "He was like ha, and ha, and HA!" He leap around with an imaginary sword, hoping to make her laugh. It worked. Marinette had agreed to take a walk through the park before heading home, and they had been discussing the film along the way. Adrien finished his imaginary sword fight by leaping onto a park bench with a grade flourish of sword play. Marinette applauded what she supposed was his victory. He grinned and bowed to his audience of one, before returning to her side. "But really, tell me, did you like it?"

"I did," she answered. "And I have to admit, it was quite romantic too." _She isn't stammering anymore._ He noted to himself.

"Yes, it was romantic. Especially while sitting next to prettiest girl I've ever seen." He whispered as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.

"Aww...would you look at that?" He looked ahead to where she was pointing. A string quartet was playing near the fountain. Several couples had gathered to dance along to the slow waltz. Marinette was pointing at an elderly couple. They moved slowly, but the love in their eyes was stunning to behold. Adrien nodded, smiled.

"Maybe that will be us, someday," he mused.

"Dance with me!" Marinette demanded suddenly.

"What?" his eyes opened wide with shock.

"I said, 'dance with me'" She grabbed Adrien's hand and pulled him in the direction to the fountain. He laughed her boldness and didn't fight her. He let her drag him along. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him, her eyes shining brighter than the stars. Then he saw it.

 _Ladybug._ It was suddenly clear to him. Everything made sense. Marinette was Ladybug. Ladybug was Marinette. Of course she was. Who else was as brave and kind as the mysterious hero. Who else could make his heart race like it was right now. _Why didn't I see it before? You're right here. You've always been right here!_

Cat Noir was perched halfway up the Eiffel Tower, waiting for Ladybug. He, of course, had just seen her, but the crime fighting duo always met up on Friday at Midnight. And since Ladybug didn't know he was Adrien, Cat Noir was waiting patiently for her.

 _Gah, I should have kissed her._ He regretted. He kept replaying moments of their date in his mind. There had been a moment when they were dancing in the park that he almost kissed her, but Marinette had come so far that night with her awkwardness that he hadn't wanted to push his luck. Instead, he had settled for a quick peck on the cheek right before she disappeared behind the bakery door. _Next time. I'll kiss her next time._

He spied a figure moving across the rooftops of Paris. _Well...the next time I see her as Adrien._ He corrected himself as he got to his feet. Soon enough, Ladybug pulled up next to him with the help of her trusty yo-yo.

"Good Evening, milady!" he greeted her with a quick bow, as per usual. "It is a puuuurfect night, is it not?"

"Yes...yes it is Cat." He looked up at her, she was smiling, staring out into the night sky, completely ignoring his pun. Of course, he knew why she was so distracted, but he also had to keep up the charade.

"Bugaboo...you're not listening to me!" Cat Noir whined.

"Yes I am!" she snapped, turning to look at him. "You said it was a…" she trailed off.

 _Yeah. That's right Ladybug! I managed to get a cat pun past you!_ He struggled to keep a straight face.

"Hey, it's alright milady. You seem rather distracted. What's on your mind?" She smiled at him.

"Oh, nothing. I've just had a wonderful night. That's all."

"The weather is mewtiful, but I get the feeling you aren't talk about the weather." He answered with a grin. She narrowed her eyes and glared over at him.

"No, I'm not talking about the weather."

"Hot date?" He leaned in closer to her. She was blushing under her mask.

"Uh….yeah….d...date," She backed away from him. "But we shouldn't be talking about this! We aren't supposed to know each other's identity."

"I wasn't asking who you are. I just wanna know about this guy you're dating." Naturally, he knew all about her date, but if Cat Noir wasn't curious, Marinette would definitely catch on. "Gotta know my competition, Bugaboo."

"Would you stop calling me that?" she argued firmly.

"Hey. You can go on all the dates you want, milady, but you will always be my bugaboo. After all, we were friends first!" he pretended to hurt, intentionally curving his lips into a pout. Ladybug's face softened.

"I'm sorry, Cat. You're right. We were partners first. And me dating someone isn't going to change our friendship." She placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling softly.

 _I really should have kissed her._ He lamented to himself before answering.

"So...I can still call you bugaboo?" Her smile vanished and the typical _dumb cat_ face, as Cat Noir would describe it, appeared.

"Cat…"

"Ok! Ok!" He backed off and raised his hands in surrender. "I'll only call you bugaboo on special occasions."

"Ugh," Ladybug moaned while Cat Noir snickered. "We are supposed to be discussing Hawk Moth, you know."

"I know that, but I was feline chatty tonight."

"Cat…" she warned him, but ignored her.

"Besides there hasn't been an akuma attack since Tuesday and we still don't have any leads on how to get to Hawk Moth."

"I guess you're right. Still no ideas on how to figure out who he is or where he is hiding?"

"Not yet, but I'll keep thinking, milady." He yawned. "It's getting late. Perhaps we should call it a night."

"Yeah, I'm pretty worn out. Best get some sleep before there is another attack." She agreed. He nodded and turned to take his leave. "And Cat? Thanks."

"For what?" he asked, glancing back at her in confusion.

"For being my best friend."

"Of course, milady. Your friendship means everything to me." She needed Cat Noir _and_ Adrien. Each in their own unique way. And he was alright with that. _Maybe someday,_ he thought, _Maybe someday I can tell you that I'm both._


	12. Chapter 11: Texting

Marinette's phone buzzed, jarring her from her sleep. She reached over and unplugged it, dreams of Adrien still floating around in her mind. _A text. This early?_ She fumbled with the phone to get the message open.

 _Good morning, princess. I miss you._

"Tikki!" she exclaimed, sitting straight up in bed, fully alert. "He's texting me! What do I do?"

The red kwami, who was laying on her pillow yawned and stretched.

"Mari…it's too early for this…"

"But...he says he misses me…" Marinette blushed. She glanced at the clock; 6:47am. _He must have just gotten up. Wait. He woke up and...thought of me?_

"Then say you miss him to and go back to sleep." The kwami curled into a ball and closed her eyes again.

Marinette started typing a reply, deleted it, typed another one, deleted it, and then finally came up with a response she was happy with.

 _I miss you too. Thanks for the movie last night. I had a great time._

She hit send and waited. A few minutes later, her phone buzzed again.

 _Me too. Want to do it again sometime?_

 _Of course!_

 _Great. I have a photoshoot this morning, but we could grab lunch when I'm done, if you want._

 _Sure! Do you want me to meet you somewhere?_

 _We're shooting at the Louvre. I should be done at eleven. Sorry, but I'll be in full "perfect model" mode lol!_

 _Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny._

The next message was a picture. It was a selfie of Adrien. His standing in front of a bathroom mirror, holding his phone up in his right hand. His toothbrush was sticking out of his mouth and his hair was a complete bird's nest. To Marinette's complete embarrassment, he was topless. The sight of his sculpted body cause her to fall back into her pillow, nearly landing on Tikki.

 _Oh, my GOD._ She tried to process what she was looking at. _Are those his BOXERS?_ She eyed the blue fabric around his waist in curiosity. She couldn't determine if it was really boxers or shorts since the bathroom counter was in the way. Her phone buzzed again, and another message showed up under the picture.

 _For future reference :P_

Marinette laughed before responding.

 _You're such a dork!_ She couldn't believe how comfortable she felt with him now. Just a few days ago, she never would have been able to text him like she was doing right now.

 _Why, thank you! Now, do I get to see you this morning?_

 _NO! I'm not even out of bed yet!_

 _Marinette in her bed...now that's a sight I would love to see! C'mon. Please?_

 _I said no!_

 _PLEASE! I'm dying over here!_

 _AND I'M NOT? YOU SENT ME A PICTURE OF YOU HALF NAKED!_

Another picture came through. Adrien's hair was still a mess but he had held the phone close to his face so she couldn't see if he had any clothes on. He was looking straight into the camera with big puppy dog eyes and a pout on his lips.

 _Purty please?_ He added under the image.

Marinette sighed. How could she say no to that face? She sat up in bed and ran her fingers through her hair. She flipped on her phone's camera. Holding it up, she took a quick shot. Checking it to make sure it wasn't too bad, she sent it over to Adrien.

Her hair was frizzy, but the way it fell over her shoulders was quite pretty. She was wearing a soft blue tank top, which was wrinkled, but decent. Marinette clung to the phone eager to see what he would say.

 _My god, you're beautiful. Are you sure YOU aren't the model?_ Marinette cracked up laughing.

 _Pretty sure you're the model, Adrien_

 _Nah, my princess is. You should wear your hair down sometimes._

 _You don't like my pigtails? :'(_

 _What? No! I mean, yes. I do like them. I love your hair, no matter how you wear it._

Marinette grinned. She was messing with him now. _Payback for that semi-nude picture!_ She thought to herself. She got up and started getting dressed, not responding to the last text. The phone buzzed, but she didn't look at it. She brushed her hair, considering whether to put it up or leave it down like he suggested. The phone buzzed again. She pulled half her hair up and put into a small bun. When the phone buzzed for a third time, she picked it up and read the messages.

 _Princess?_

 _Mair?_

 _I'm sorry, please answer me._

She grinned.

 _Gotcha!_ She texted back. Adrien responded immediately.

 _Don't DO that! You had me worried...Seriously._ A touch of guilt went through her heart.

 _Ok ok...but no more half naked pics!_

 _:D Did my princess get a little hot and bothered by my sexy pic?_

 _WHAT? NO!_

 _Oh, yes she did!_

 _Shut up!_

Suddenly, Marinette's ringtone filled the room. She glanced down at the phone. It was a video call from Adiren. She hesitated, but then answered. Adrien's face appeared on the screen. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt and his hair had been combed.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, smiling.

"G-good morning," Marinette suddenly felt flustered.

"It's almost time for me to head out, but I…" he paused, scratching the back of his neck. "I wanted to hear your voice before I do."

Marinette felt her heart melting. _He's so sweet. Sweeter than I ever could have imagined._

"Ok...well, hi," she said, not sure how to respond to him. Adrien pursed his lips together and glanced away from the phone.

"Aaaaaand, now this is awkward," he noted, looking down only to look back up at her. Marinette laughed, relieved to not be the only one who got flustered.

"Welcome to my life." They sat there for a moment just staring at each other. "I wish you were here." she added after a moment.

"Me too." Marinette heard a soft knock coming from the other side of the phone. "I'll be right there!" Adrien yelled over his shoulders. "I gotta go."

"I know. I'll see you later."

"Ok, and Marinette?"

"Yes?"

"I...I love you." Marinette waited for the feeling of dizziness or shyness to take her over, but it didn't come. In fact, hearing Adrien tell her that he loved her felt like the most natural thing on the planet. As if, they had always had this type of relationship. She smiled.

"I love you, too, Adrien." she answered, knowing that they both meant it with all their hearts.


	13. Chapter 12: Everything I Want

Marinette was halfway through her breakfast when Alya called. She filled in her friend about everything that had happened, although she skipped over the part about the picture Adrien had sent her. After all, she wasn't obligated to tell Alya everything.

"And so, we're going to meet for lunch in a few hours." Marinette finished. She was back in her room, sitting at her desk.

"Wait...so you're going on another date?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"Uh...nothing. Just that...well...how do I say this...you aren't panicking?"

Marinette considered this for a moment. It did seem strange given her history of freaking out just at the sound of Adrien's name. But he loves me. And I love him. I have no reason to be nervous.

"Nope. Not at all." she answered firmly. "There's no reason to be nervous, Alya. It's just...Adrien."

"Girl, this is awesome! You've finally done it!" Alya started whooping into the phone. "So, does this mean it's official?"

"Is what official?"

"You know...are you guys a thing? Is Adrien Agreste your boyfriend?" The question took Marinette by surprise. They hadn't discussed it, but she figured it was probably true.

"Well...we haven't actually said that but...I think...maybe so? Just don't say anything to anyone, ok? Just in case I'm wrong."

"No worries. My lips are sealed!"

Marinette smiled. Alya really was the best friend a girl could ask for. She glanced at the clock and realized that she needed to head out if she didn't want to be late.

"Alya, I gotta go, but I'll call you later, ok?"

"Hurry, girl! You don't want to be late!"

Marinette spied the photoshoot immediately after getting of the city bus. It was actually hard to miss with all the photography equipment hanging around. She had been to a few of Adrien's photoshoots before. She quickly spied Adrien being photographed near one corner of the Pyramide du Louvre. Marinette sat down on a bench nearby and took out her sketchpad from her bag. She had been working on a purse, at Alya's request, and thought it would be a good way to pass the time until Adrien was done.

She zoned in on her work and the world became quiet. She lost track of all sense of time or place. It wasn't until she heard a voice calling her name that she was pulled back to reality.

"Earth to Marinette!" Adrien was sitting next to her on the bench. How long has he been there?

"Uh...ha...sorry," she fumbled, her face turning beet red. "Guess I got a little carried away."

"A little? I've been sitting here for five minutes! Did you hear anything I said?"

"Um….earth to Marinette?" she grimace. Man, this is bad. But Adrien laughed and put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Marinette. My father is the same way when he is working. I just asking about the jacket." He pointed to the sketchpad on her lap. "It looks like it matches that derby hat I modeled."

"Yeah, that's the idea. I wanted to create a complete outfit to match it." She flipped back through the last few pages, showing him the designs.

"Wow. I could easily see this on the runway, princess. But, please, no real feathers."

"Actually…" she debated whether or not to show him. "I had something….else for you to model." She flipped to the very back of her sketchpad to a project she had been working on for a long time.

Adrien took the sketchpad from her in amazement. The page contained details of a men's white linen sports coat, tan pants, and a light blue scarf. In the bottom corner of the page, Marinette had drawn the entire outfit on her favorite fashion model, taking great care to sketch out his beautiful face.

"Marinette...this...this...this is amazing." He traced the image of himself. But then he frowned.

"What's wrong?" she said in a rush. "You don't like it? It's ok if you don't...I mean...I can always change stuff...and…"

"Mari…" he cut her off. "This scarf...you already made it, didn't you?"

CRAP! THE SCARF! WHY DID I SHOW HIM THIS!

"Whaaaat? Pft, no!"

"Natalie told me it was from my father, but...it was from you, wasn't it?"

"Um...no, it's...it's…" Adrien had been so happy when 'his father' had given him the scarf that Marinette didn't want to ruin it. Today, she still felt the same way, but didn't know what else to do.

"Thank you," he gently kissed her left temple. "It was the best birthday gift ever, but why didn't you tell me that you were the one who made it?"

"Because you were so happy to get from your dad. I...didn't...I couldn't take that away from you."

"For the record, getting it from you is way better than getting from my dad," he grinned, "But, seriously, can I have the jacket for my next birthday?" Marinette laughed.

"I don't know...a jacket requires a lot of work." she answered, playing with him, "I'm not sure I'd put that much time and effort into a gift for a friend." She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. He smiled slyly at her, obviously catching onto her game.

"Well...how about a boyfriend?"

"But, I don't have a boyfriend," She battered her eyes, playing innocent. Adrien laughed and reach over his shoulder to scratch his neck like he did so often.

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about Adrien Agreste," she turned her nose up into the air, pretending to be insulted.

"Ok. Ok. I can take a hint!" He reached out to take her hand, caressing it softly like he had done that day in the library. He leaned in close so that their foreheads were touching. Staring straight into her eyes, he whispered to her. "Marinette Dupain-cheng, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course, dummy," she answered, laughing. He laughed too and stood up pulling her with him.

"Come on, then, girlfriend," He said, closing the sketch pad and handing it to her. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Adrien led her away from the Louvre and over to one of his favorite food stands.

"I forgot to ask, do you like Jambon Beurres?" she nodded, so he stepped up to the counter to order. "Two Jambon Beurres, please."

Louis, the owner, frowned at him. The Louvre was a popular spot for photoshoots and, since he was close, Adrien had come to know Louis fairly well.

"Sorry, little Adrien, but I am on strict orders to not serve you meals that are high in carbs."

"But...but, Louis," he moved his eyes to the left, hoping the man would notice Marinette. "Jambon Beurres are not that high in carbs."

"IT'S SERVED ON A BAGGETT! I'm sorry Adrien, but you know Natalie territories the living daylights out of me!"

This wasn't the first time his father had taken extreme measures to ensure Adrien stayed fit for model work. Adrien rolled his eyes and glanced over at Marinette. She had covered her mouth with a hand and she was trying desperately not to laugh. He smiled, more than a little embarrassed, and turned back to Louis.

"Any other suggestions?" he asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer. Louis reached for something behind the counter and set a plastic container in front of him. He peered inside and frowned. Salad. It definitely didn't come from Louis' place. Natalie, he thought, she must have brought this from home. He looked up at the older man who gazed down at him with pity. Louis moaned and then he turned towards Marinette.

"Now, little lady, you look mighty hungry. Could it be that you need two Jambon Beurres to fill your stomach?" Marinette quickly glanced between Adrien and Louis before answering.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, yes! Of course! I'm starving. Two please!" she grinned at Adrien and then he realized the plot that had just been hatched. He turned back to Louis.

"You heard her. Two Jambon Beurres, please." He smiled back at Marinette who was giggling. Louis prepared the sandwiches and Adrien paid the man. Marinette collected the Jambon Beurres and Adrien grabbed the salad, which he tossed as soon as they passed as trash can. They walked over to the Tuileries Garden and found a place to eat their lunch.

"So...I guess modeling has its downsides?" she asked, handing him a sandwich.

"Yeah, my father and Natalie worry about what I eat, but I live a pretty active lifestyle, so they don't really need to."

"I see. But that must be really tough sometimes."

"Sometimes. To be honest, I hope to quit soon."

"Really?" her eyes grew wide with curiosity.

"Yep. I turn eighteen soon and I plan to get my own place, so my father won't be able to tell me what to do anymore."

"But, you'll need money to live on your own. So, why would you quit modeling?"

"I'll get another job. Besides, all the money I've made so far is in a trust fund I'll have access to. I'll be able to live off of that for quite awhile if need be."

"Sounds like you have it all planned out," she sounded almost sad when she said it. "Will you...will you stay in Paris?"

"Of course! Why would I leave?" he asked, she smiled but didn't answer. He reached out and placed his hand over hers. "Everything I want is right here."

Suddenly, there was a loud bang followed by screaming. People were running all over the park.

Really? Adrien thought to himself as they both got to their feet. Really, Hawkmoth? This couldn't wait an hour or two?

"Come on, princess. Time to leave" he took Marinette by the hand. And, I guess, figure out a way to get separated so we can save the day, milady.


	14. Chapter 13: I Need You

**Important Author's Note: When the previous chapter was uploaded, I accidentally uploaded the wrong version which was missing an important plot point. If you read Chapter 12: Everything I Want before this chapter was added, please go back and re-read! It's a minor change, but the events in the next few chapters rely heavily on the change. As always, thanks for reading!**

"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette said as soon as the coast was clear. She had been separated from Adrien fairly quickly after they took off. As much as she hated it, she couldn't deny that it wasn't convenient. Otherwise, it might have been difficult for Ladybug to show up and save the day. Her transformation complete, she took off into the park, yo-yo at the ready.

When she got to the scene, Cat Noir landed right next her.

"Good to see you again, milady," he said, smiling at her. "My, you look mew-tiful."

"Not now kitty!" she said, annoyed as usual. She glanced around. The akumatized victim was setting off fireworks in every direction, causing damage to surrounding buildings and statues. _Definitely one of the more dangerous villains we've faced,_ she thought to herself, _someone could really get hurt!_

"What's the plan, Ladybug?" Cat Noir asked, awaiting instruction. The villain hadn't noticed them yet, so they still had the element of surprise, but she also needed more time to assess the situation.

"You take the front, Cat Noir," she instructed, "I'll come from behind. Keep him busy and I'll try to figure out where the akuma is."

"You word is my command, milady," he bowed to her before charging of towards the fight. "Hey, clown-face! Don't you know Bastille Day was a few months ago?"

She chuckled at his joke before using her yo-yo to pull herself up onto a nearby building, sneaking her way around the square.

"I am Lord de Feu! Now give me your miraculous!" the akumatized victim yelled back towards Cat firing a roman candle in his direction.

"Fat chance of that!" Cat Noir teased as he dogged the attack. Ladybug jumped across the rooftops circling the pair until she was behind Lord de Feu. She glanced around, trying to come up with a plan, but nothing was coming to mind.

She watched as her partner kept taunting Lord de Feu and dodging the attacks that followed. The villain's kept pulling fireworks out of his backpack which never seemed to empty. _That's it,_ she realized, _the backpack!_

There was another loud explosion as another firework hit a statue, causing it to tumble, nearly landing on Cat.

"Missed me, missed me, don't you want to kiss me!" Cat taunted as he rolled out of the way in the nick of time. Lord De Feu screamed in anger, and Ladybug saw her chance. She flung her yo-yo towards the bag, but the villain sense the attack. He lifted his arm and the yo-yo wrapped around it. He pulled down, causing Ladybug to lose her footing. She fell down to the ground, her yo-yo string slipping from her hands.

"Nice try, Ladybug! But don't you know, one of you always comes from the front and the other behind? Do you think I'm an idiot?" he reached for another firework, a large rocket and fired it towards her. Still dizzy from her fall, she tried to dodge it. It missed, but a large crack told her she wasn't safe. Looking up, she saw a large stone statue about to fall on her, still on her hands and knees she tried to back up, not sure if she was going to make. Suddenly, she was sent flying across the ground, knocking her into a nearby building. Her vision blurred, but she struggled to get to her feet. _What just happened?_ She blinked her eyes until they started to refocus. Lord de Feu was laughing in triumph. When her vision was clear, she saw why. And instantly, she knew what had knocked her out of harm's way.

Just a few feet in front of her was a large pile of rubble and underneath it was a limp, yet familiar black form.

"Cat?" she whispered, more to herself than anything else. He didn't move. Hot tears started sliding down her face. "CAT!"

"Looks like the cat finally ran out of lives! And now it's time to squash a bug as well!"

Ladybug turned to face her enemy, a hundred thoughts and emotions racing through her mind.

Cat Noir, her partner, her friend, the one who had fought faithfully by her side all these years was now laying lifeless under a pile of stone.

"You!" she screamed, channeling all her angry and pain towards him, "You did this! And you will pay!"

Ladybug charged with such fury that Lord de Feu took several steps back in hesitation. She didn't even bother picking up the yo-yo from where the villain had dropped it after detangling his arm from it's string. She came at him with fist and feet swinging in every direction. With every blow that landed, her heart screamed out in fury for what he had done to Cat Noir.

 _How dare you!_ Her mind was racing. _How dare you harm him! He's everything to me! EVERYTHING!_ Tears streamed down her face, but she didn't let up. It wasn't until Lord de Feu landed his own blow to her chest that she slowed down. The force of his punch pushed her backwards.

 _This isn't doing Cat Noir any good._ She realized. Still crying, she ran for the yo-yo. Tossing it into the air, she summoned her lucky charm. A water gun fell from the sky and Ladybug instantly knew what to do with it.

"Time to put your fire out!" She screamed in pain and fury as she started dousing her opponent in water. When the gun was empty, she charged again. He tried to light another firework, but everything was too damp. Ladybug ripped the backpack off of him and ripped it in two. The akuma appeared and after a quick fling of her yo-yo, it was captured and purified. She didn't even bother to say goodbye to the butterfly. Her only thoughts were of Cat Noir. She tossed the water gun in the air. _Please work._ She begged as she cried out for her miraculous ladybugs. Sure enough, the sky was soon full of ladybugs zooming around repairing all the damage Lord de Feu had cause. She raced back to where Cat Noir had been. The statue was repaired, but there was no sign of her friend.

"Cat Noir!" She screamed desperately. Looking everywhere. "Cat Noir! Where are you!" Tears streamed from her face. _No, no, no! He can't be! He can't!_ People started to emerge from hiding. "Has anyone seen Cat Noir?" she screamed, but no one answered. Her earrings beeped. She used her yo-yo and swung to the closest rooftop. Even higher up, she couldn't see him.

"CAT NOIR!" she screamed his name, desperately jumping from rooftop to rooftop, searching every street. _Please don't be gone. Please don't leave me! I need you kitty! Please come back to me._ Memories of last few years flooded her mind. How many times had Cat saved her? How many blows had he taken on her behalf? Yet, he had always faithfully followed her every command. He let her take the lead. He trusted her.

 _I failed you. This time, I failed you._ Her legs gave way underneath her. She caught herself before she fell off the roof, but she couldn't stand back up. Her body shook with pain. It was too much to bear. Her heart breaking into a thousand pieces, she screamed out in agony.


	15. Chapter 14: What Have I Done?

Adrien's head pounded. _What happened? Where am I?_ He looked around. A public square. A statue, just a few feet away. Ladybug. She was saying something, but he couldn't hear her over the ringing in his ears. He closed his eyes and shook his head, begging the pain to go away. After a moment, the ringing started to die down and the pain receded. His memory started to come back. _The statue. That's right. It was about to fall. I pushed Ladybug out of the way. Wait did I…?_

He opened his eyes again. Ladybug was gone. But then he heard her.

"Cat Noir! Where are you?" He spied her jumping along the rooftops. Glancing down, he saw he was in civilian form. Dodging into an empty alley, he quickly transformed. Using his staff, he made his way up to the rooftops and chased after her.

"Ladybug!" he called after her, but she didn't seem to hear. She had a good head start. _Damn she's fast._ He struggled to gain any distance on her. The suddenly she stopped. He heard her screaming. Crying. Was it because of him? Did she think he was dead? _Of course she does, you idiot._

"Ladybug!" he called out to her again. This time she heard him. She glanced up as he finally started to get close to her. She mouthed a word that he couldn't hear. _Just a few more jumps_. He told himself, trying to get to her side as quickly as he could. Suddenly, a blur of red slammed into him, knocking him off balance. His feet slide from under him as they both began to fall. Grabbing Ladybug with one arm, he extended his staff with the other until it hit the ground beneath them. Once they were stable, he gracefully slid down the staff, holding Ladybug close. They landed safely in a small alleyway only a few feet wide.

"Well hi there, mi-" Before he could finish, her lips were on his. For a split second, he was shocked, but the sweetness of her kiss pulled him in. He let his staff clang to the ground as he wrapped both arms around her, pulling her closer. She had wrapped her arms around his neck and, now, her fingers entangled themselves in his hair. Her weight pressed him against the wall behind them. He drank in her sweetness, running his hands up and down her back, never wanting this moment to end. The world around them seemed to disappear as they continued kissing. Her face was wet with salty tears, but he didn't care. He closed his eyes, soaking in moment. This was his love. This was his Ladybug. His Marinette.

Her earrings beeped. He pushed back against her, turning them around the corner so that Marinette was now the one up against the wall, not wanting her to run off just yet. He poured everything into his kiss. All the years of longer for her. All the emotions he had ever felt for her. He let his lips slip away from her lips kissing her check, tracing her jaw line with kisses until he reached her neck. His eyes opened slightly, check to make sure that she was enjoying this, but then he spied her earrings. Cat Noir froze. She had de-transformed. _The beep must have been the last one._ He realized, too late. They locked eyes and the depth of situation became apparent. Her eyes instantly became full of terror, as if she had just realized what was happening as well. His heart raced. _Cat Noir_ was kissing Marinette, not Adrien, her _boyfriend._

"Marinette, I…" he started to explain, but Marinette shoved him to the side.

"Nothing happened! You hear me? NOTHING HAPPENED!" she took off down the street. Cat Noir started to follow her, but stopped when he heard giggling behind him. Turning, he saw Lila not that far away from him, her phone in her hands. _Shit. How much did she see?_

In a single leap he was snatching her phone. On the screen, clear as day, was a picture of him kissing Marinette.

"My, my, kitty...won't your ladybug be jealous?" Lila teased.

He glared at her. _At least she didn't figure out Ladybug's identity._

"Here's your phone," he said, handing it back to her, "I deleted the picture."

"Doesn't matter," she shrugged. "I already sent it out to all my contacts." Cat Noir clenched his fist, wanting to punch her.

"Why you…"

"Oops! Was I not supposed to let the cat out of the bag? My bad. I just wanted Adrien to see he deserves so much better than that stupid Marinette." She turned and started walking away. "Bye, bye, you naughty kitty!"

He growled under his breath, but he knew that beating Lila to a pulp wasn't going to help the situation. Instead, he turned and spied his staff on the ground. Picking it up, he thought about his options. None of them were good. Sighing, he took off towards home. He had to talk this out, and the only one he could do that with was Plagg.

 _What have I done?_ He asked himself, as he soared across the rooftops of Paris. _What. Have. I. Done?_

 **Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement you guys have been sending. I love hearing from you! This story has turned out to be much longer than I expected, but I didn't want to rush it. The plot's really picking up speed now, so please let me know what you think! Also, sorry about the cliffhanger, I hate them too, but I promise to add the next chapter as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 15: Torn

_I just kissed Cat Noir...I KISSED HIM! Oh god, I kissed him...not only kissed...I freaking MADE OUT WITH HIM!_ WHAT was I THINKING!?

Marinette didn't stop running until she reached the safety of her bedroom. Once there, the real panic started to sink in. The thought of Cat Noir being gone had awoken emotions that she didn't realize existed. She had always counted on his presence. She needed her kitty in order to be Ladybug. Needed him much more than she had ever realized.

 _Why didn't see it sooner? He means so much to me. Do I love him? But, no, I love Adrien. But kissing Cat...it was...oh, god, I love him!_

The realization was too much to take in. Marinette leaned against the closed door and slid down until she was sitting. She wrapped her arms around her legs and started rocking herself back and forth, trying to calm down. Tikki floated out of her purse and hovered right in front of her.

"Um...Marinette?" she asked, gently, "Are you ok?"

Marinette looked up. Tikki was her dearest friend, but the thought of admitting what she now knew to be true was too much. _I can't. Not yet._

"Tikki, I need to be alone right now. I need to think….I need…" she reached for her earrings, "I'm sorry Tikki."

"No, Mari…" but Tikki couldn't finish. Marinette took off her miraculous earrings. She stood up and put them safely in the miraculous box that was inside her desk. Now that she was completely alone, she crawled into her bed and pulled the covers tightly around her.

 _I love Adrien, but I also love Cat. God, I'm an awful person! Is it possible to be in love with two people?_

Marinette wasn't sure how long she sat laid in her bed, trying to decipher her own emotions, but suddenly her phone buzzed. She ignored it, but when she heard Alya's ringtone, she got up and fetched it out of her purse.

"Hi, Alya," she said quietly, not wanting to talk about what had just happened.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Alya screamed at her through the phone. "Explain NOW!"

"Uh…" Marinette tried to think of a reason that Alya might be acting this way, but she couldn't. "Explain what?"

"Girl, did you not get the picture?"

"Picture? What picture?" Her phone beeped at her, telling her she had gotten another message. "Hold on, I just got something."

Marinette pulled the phone away from her ear and opened the message. The first one was a picture of her from that afternoon, kissing Cat Noir. Under it, she watched in horror as her classmates began responding with 'woot's, 'omg's, and 'I thought she liked Adrien's. _It's a freaking group text!?_

A million thoughts flew through her head. _Someone saw us. Do they know I'm Ladybug? No, otherwise they would have said something. Wait, Cat knows. Of course he knows. I knew that! CRAP! CAT NOIR KNOWS I'M LADYBUG!_

"Uh...Alya?" she said, raising the phone back to her ear. Walking over the make sure her window curtain was closed.

"So...your dating Adrien, but making out with CAT NOIR! I'm listening." Alya responded, waiting for an explanation. _One I don't even have for myself yet._

"Alya, I can explain but…but I'm not ready to. Not yet." She waiting for her friend to argue, but she didn't. The phone beeped again. "It's...it's not what it looks like and I _will_ explain it to you, but right now I need to be alone, ok?"

"Alright. I leave you alone. But you better call me as soon as your ready to talk." Marinette could tell Alya was upset and hurt, but she was also a very good friend.

"Thank you, Alya," Marinette's phone beeped again. "Um...I think I'm going to turn my phone off. This is kinda exploding."

"Uh, duh. I hate to break it to but it's already on the net." Marinette's heart sank. "But not the Ladyblog! I promise. Not until I have the full story, at least."

"You're the best Alya. I'm going to go now."

"Oh, wait. One more thing. You did see that Adrien was in that group chat, right?" She hadn't, but Marinette had already figured he would see it one way or the other.

"Yeah, awesome"

"Ok. I'll be here when your ready."

Marinette hung up and then quickly powered down the phone.

 _I'm going to have to choose,_ she realized. _But how do I choose between two people who both mean so much to me? And will either one every forgive me?_

Marinette retreated back into the safety of her bed. Wishing Adrien was here to hold her and tell her everything was going to alright, but, at the same time, wishing it was Cat Noir instead.

 _What do I do?_


	17. Chapter 16: Creative Cat

Adrien paced back and forth in his room while Plagg munched on cheese on the couch. His phone and his computer both kept dinging as the image of him and Marinette gained attention.

"You're making a big deal out of nothing, kid," Plagg commented. "So what? Marinette kissed Cat Noir. I thought you _wanted_ her to like Cat Noir."

"Yeah, but not as two different people!"

"But they aren't two different people. They're both you, ya dummy!" the kwami pointed out, as if Adrien had forgotten that fact.

"I know that, but _she doesn't!"_

"Just tell her you are then, already!" Adrien starred at the kwami. He didn't look like he was joking.

"The other day, _you_ told me that I shouldn't tell her."

"Yeah, well, that was before there was a valid reason. Besides, every Cat Noir and Ladybug end up knowing who the other one is." This caught Adrien by surprise. It wasn't often Plagg talked about the other Cat Noirs he had watched over.

"What do you mean, _every_ Cat Noir and Ladybug?"

"Look, Cat Noir is granted the power of destruction. I'm the kwami of destruction. Together, we _are destruction._ Cat Noir always ends up ruining everything and then the cat is out of the bag one way or the other."

"I don't _ruin everything!"_ Adrien argued, suddenly felt like he was under attack.

"All these notifications say otherwise," the kwami nodded towards the computer which let out another series of chimes.

"Ok...so maybe I ruined it a little bit...but if we are destruction, Ladybug and Tikki are creation! They can fix it! After I explain everything to Marinette, those two can come up with a plan to fix everything!" He went to his phone, ready to call Marinette

"Yeah... _if_ Marinette will talk to you."

"I'm her boyfriend, she'll talk to me." The phone started dialing.

"If you say so...but she isn't talking to Tikki." The call went straight to voicemail. Adrien looked back over at Plagg.

"How do you know that."

"She took off her miraculous. I sensed Tikki's power deactivating. Man, she must be really upset because she talks to Tikki about everything!"

"Did Tikki tell you this." The black kwami nodded.

"Yeah, we meet up on occasion to talk about you two."

"Does...does Tikki know I'm Cat Noir?" Adrien asked, his hope beginning to dwindle.

"Yes, but she won't be able to tell Marinette if she took off her earrings. Besides, it's not like Tikki to just come out and say it. She follows the rules, unlike me."

"You guys really are opposites, aren't you?"

"Kid, you really have no idea." Plagg took another bite of cheese. "Looks like you are on your own to fix this one. Good luck!"

Adrien glanced down at his phone. The group text was getting longer by the minute.

"Maybe I'm not alone." He switched over to his contacts and soon the phone was ringing again.

"Hello?" Alya's voice answered.

"Hi, Alya, it's Adrien."

"Yeah, dude, I know."

"Um...have you seen...well...you know." Adrien felt extremely awkward, but he knew he had to do this.

"Yeah, I've seen it."

"Yeah...I tried to call Marinette, but it went to voicemail. Any chance you've talked to her?"

"Briefly," she admitted, "But I didn't really get anything out of her. She was really upset. She said she was going to turn her phone off until she was ready to talk."

"I figured. But do you know anything? Anything at all that might explain this?" His heart began to race with nerves. He almost felt like he was going behind Marinette's back.

"Not really. She said she could explain and that it wasn't what it looked like. That's really all I know."

"Ok. Forget what you know. What do you _think_ is going on here." _Please Alya, give me something._

"I'm not sure. I know she's crazy about you. And her kissing Cat Noir just doesn't fit the bill. Maybe it happened a long time ago? Maybe?"

"Maybe," Adrien commented, taking mental note of the idea, "But wouldn't you have known about it? Wouldn't she have told you?"

"You would think. But, I don't know. Maybe that cat told her to not say anything. After all, I do run a blog about Ladybug!" Adrien nodded even though Alya couldn't see him.

"That would make sense." There was a long silence as Adrien's mind started to form a plan.

"Hey, Adrien?" Alya whispered.

"Yeah, Alya?"

"You know, Marinette would never do anything to hurt you, right?" Adrien smiled. Even with a picture of proof in her hands, Alya still believed in her best friend.

"Yeah, I know Alya. You know I love her, right? And that this picture doesn't change anything?"

"I had hoped not. I need to go, Adrien."

"Me too. Thanks Alya. You've been a big help."

"Anytime, Adrien."

They hung up and Adrien went straight to his desk, got out a notepad, and started writing. Plagg eventually came over and hovered right as his shoulder.

"Well, would you look at that? It appears the cat _does_ have a bit of creativity!" Adrien smiled.

"Do you think it will work?" he asked hesitantly.

"Maybe, if Marinette is willing to play along." Adrien nodded. He had to get Marinette to talk to him. He needed her forgiveness for what he had done. That was the only way this was going to work. But without her answering the phone, that might prove to be difficult.


	18. Chapter 17: Time to Act

Sunday morning, Adrien was exhausted. He hadn't slept well and had continued to try and call Marinette with no luck. He ate his breakfast in front of his desktop, reading the news. The mainstream channels had picked up the picture and were now featuring it in their celebrity segments of the morning news.

"That's just freaking awesome," he muttered to himself, taking another bite of eggs.

"I told you, kid, Cat Noir destroys everything."

"No, this is LILA's doing. NOT MINE!" he snapped at the kwami.

"Someone has a short fuse this morning." He wasn't wrong, but Adrien didn't want to give Plagg the satisfaction of telling him he was right. Instead he glanced down at his notepad. It had all the details of a great cover story. But without getting ahold of Marinette, he wasn't sure he should go through with it.

 _I'll just go over there._ He decided, finishing the eggs. _If I go over, surely she will talk to me._ He quickly got dressed and headed out the door. Thankfully, it was Sunday and he had gotten his father to agree several months ago that he deserved one day a week that wasn't planned out for him. _I'm still going to have to bring Gorilla with me, but at least he'll wait in the car._

Soon enough, Adrien was knocking on Marinette's front door since the bakery was closed on Sundays. Marinette's father answered the door, but instead of letting Adrien in, he stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

"Please sir," Adrien said, praying Mr. Dupain wouldn't freak out and become akumatized again. "I need to talk to Marinette."

"I know, son," he looked down at Adrien with sympathetic eyes, "I'm sorry, but she won't talk to anyone. Not even us, her parents."

Adrien nodded, not sure of his next move.

"I take it you saw the news?" Mr. Dupain nodded.

"I can't say I understand what is going on, but, yes, I did see the picture. I know she had a crush on Cat Noir a while back, but I was pretty sure she liked you now, not him."

"Yeah, I knew that too. I thought the picture might be an old one. That's what I wanted to ask her about. If it's from a while back, I can understand. I still love her." Adrien waiting, seeing if Mr. Dupain would buy the theory.

"Yes. I wondered about that too, but Marinette hasn't said one thing or another about it. You are a good man, Adrien. I know my daughter loves you. Give her some time and I'm sure everything will work out." He smiled down at Adrien.

"Thank you, Mr. Dupain." _Marinette sure is lucky to have such a loving family._ Adrien turned to take his leave. He still had one more trick to try before giving up, but it was one he couldn't share with Mr. Dupain.

Adrien spent the day, tucked away in his room, calling Marinette's voicemail. He watched in horror as the news kept spreading the image around the internet, but at least the group chat with his classmates eventually died down. Nino called to check on him, but Adrien reassured him that the picture must be old and to not worry about him. Finally, once it was dark, Cat Noir took to the rooftops of Paris.

Unfortunately, the cat's plans backfired. Marinette had been careful to close the curtains and lock the trap door. She had even gone as far as to leave a note out.

 _Go away Cat._

"Marinette," he said through the trapdoor. "Please let me in. I can fix this." He thought about explaining everything right there but it was too risky.

 _What if she's not there? What if someone else hears me instead of her?_

Besides, he needed to see her face. He needed to be able to gauge her reaction to his story. He couldn't do that through a trap door. Tears stung at his eyes. Not wanting her to hear him crying, he left and returned to his bed for another fitful night's sleep.

 _I'll see her at school tomorrow._ He figured as he tried to fall asleep. _Tomorrow, she'll be at school. She can't avoid me there._

"What do you mean she's not coming?" Adrien didn't mean to yell it at Alya, but he couldn't really hold back anymore.

"Do you really blame her, Adrien?" Alya questioned, not phased by his anger. "The entire world is talking about her dating Cat Noir! I'm surprised she even had the guts to turn on her phone this morning to tell me she wasn't coming."

"She turned on her phone?" Adrien quickly hit redial on his phone, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Dude, you need to chill." Nino placed a hand on his shoulder. "You look awful. Did you get any sleep last night?"

The answer was no, of course. The bags under his eyes were proof of that. Adrien moaned. How was he ever going to get the chance to talk to Marinette if she never came out of her room?

"Did she say anything else, Alya?" He asked, pleading with his eyes.

"Sorry, but no. She just said she didn't feel well and wouldn't be coming today."

 _How much longer do I wait?_ Adrien wondered. _I can't let this go on much longer._

"Thanks, Alya," he muttered before heading to the locker room. He opened his own locker and set his bag inside. Plagg poked his head out.

"You ok, kid?" the kwami asked, looking around to make sure they were alone.

"Yeah, but I think it's time to put that plan into action." Plagg nodded.

"Ready when you are, kid." Adrien smiled at him. Plagg might be rude and annoying, but it came down to it, he really did have Adrien's back.

"Alright. Lunch time. That's when we make our move." He grabbed his textbook, took a deep breath, and closed the locker door.

 _Please, let this plan work!_


	19. Chapter 18: Special Report

Marinette had hardly left her room since Saturday night and it showed. There were tissues everywhere as well as scraps of paper. She had tried writing letters to both Adrien and Cat Noir, explaining her feelings, but she could never finish them. She compared them side by side to try and figure out who she loved more, but she failed at that too. Marinette loved them both. And she didn't see how she could choose between them.

 _It, technically, would be easier to date Cat Noir since he knows I'm Ladybug._ She had told herself. But she didn't know how Cat Noir felt about Marinette. _Adrien likes me as Marinette, but could he forgive me after seeing that picture?_

Her mind kept winding itself in circles. Both Adrien and Cat Noir had tried to see her on Sunday. She had almost let Cat Noir in, but quickly decided against it. She just wasn't ready and she didn't know if she ever would be.

Thankfully, her parents had been more than understanding through the whole ordeal . After seeing the morning news on Sunday, her father had tried to come talk to her about it, but she asked him to leave her alone, that she wasn't ready. He had nodded and left only to return shortly after with a platter of cinnamon rolls and chocolate croissants. Marinette loved her father. Always so understanding. Her parents had even agreed when she asked if she could stay home from school on Monday morning. Whenever she had come downstairs to fetch something, they asked her if she was ready to talk, but when she shook her head, they both went back to what they had been doing.

Marinette knew that she couldn't do this forever, but after two full days of isolation, she was starting to feel a bit braver. _If only I could decide who I love._ It was the only thought that was holding her back now. She felt she could face the rest of it if she knew the answer to that one, overwhelming question. _Perhaps it's time to talk to Tikki_. She considered, glancing over at the desk drawer that contained her earrings.

"Marinette?" her mother called up to her, interrupting her thoughts, "Dinner is almost ready, could you set the table?" _I'll talk to Tikki after dinner._

"Sure, mom," she hollered down. She went down stairs and headed into the kitchen. Her mom was at the stove, cooking, while the tv was on in the living room. Marinette opened the cabinet where the plates and cups were stored and started setting the table as requested.

"And now a special report," the reporter on the tv was saying, "Earlier today, our own Nadja Chamack sat down with Cat Noir to discuss the recent rumors in an exclusive interview."

Marinette froze and turned towards the tv. Her heart racing.

"Hello, Cat Noir," Nadja was saying on the screen. "It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you again too, Nadja. It's been a while." Cat Noir was saying. They were both seated in dark blue lounge chairs and the camera kept switching views as they talked.

"Here sweetheart, let's turn that off," Marinette's father had come into the room and was reaching for the remote.

"No!" She screamed, running towards him, a plate still in her hand. "I...I want to hear what he has to say." Her father nodded and walked off towards the kitchen.

"There's been a lot of rumors flying around about you, recently, and a picture too." Nadja was saying, "Are you here to set the record straight?"

"Yeah, I mean, the attention is flattering and all, but none of what is being said is true and that's just not cool."

"So tell us, Cat Noir. Who is this girl in the picture?" The image of them kissing appeared behind them.

"That's Marinette Dupain-cheng, she's a good friend of mine."

 _What is that stupid cat doing?_ Marinette wondered.

"Well, she certainly appears to be more than just a friend." Nadja commented, pointing towards the image.

"Yes, well...that's actually from quite a while ago. It's true, we had a brief fling, but it was never anything more than that."

 _He's lying. Why is he lying to her?_

"Things didn't work out between you two?"

"No. She's a great girl, don't get me wrong, but we were both in love with different people. It was never going to work between us."

"Different people?"

"Yeah," Cat Noir nodded, "I think most people know I've always had a thing for Ladybug and Marinette...well, she really likes this boy at her school."

"I see. So why do you think this image is just now surfacing?"

"I don't know, for sure, why, but I heard that Marinette started dating that guy she likes. He's really popular, so I figured that some jealous girl might have shared it. You know, to try and break them up or something. You know how high school girls can be. All about the drama."

Cat Noir leaned back into the chair, completely relaxed. Marinette's eyes grew wide. _Is he trying to help me? He's trying to make the story go away?_

"Aw, young love. It can certainly bring out the best and the worst in people." Nadja added. Cat nodded his agreement.

"So," the reporter continued, "Marinette got her man, but have you had any luck with Ladybug."

Cat Noir grinned. _Oh, no. Kitty, what are you doing?_ Marinette watched in horror as he leaned forward to answer Nadja's question.

"Why, yes, Nadja. I have."

"Are you saying you're officially a couple?"

 _No, no, no, no, NO! CAT NO!_

"Yes, I am. I asked her out and she finally said yes."

 _Oh, he is so dead!_ Marinette swore to herself,

"Wow. I believe you've waiting a long time for this. What changed?"

"Well, it just happened slowly, I think. Over time, we just got to know each other really well. It takes a while when you have to wear masks, but eventually Ladybug fell for my charms."

 _Double dead._ Marinette was gripping the plate with both hands, imagining it was Cat's neck.

"So you don't even know each other's identity?" Nadja looked shocked to realized this.

"Of course not! That would put us both in danger. I'm willing to do anything to keep Ladybug safe, even if it means never knowing her true identity."

 _But you'll_ _gladly_ _go on_ _television_ _telling lies about her, you dumb cat!_

"You really love her, don't you?" Nadja said, smiling sweetly.

"Yeah, I do. She's my everything...she's…" he turned and looked straight into the camera. "She's my princess."

The plate fell to the floor and shattered, but Marinette didn't even flinch.

"Marinette!" she heard her mother hollered as she came over to help clean up the mess, but Marinette couldn't respond. She stared at the tv screen in utter shock. She couldn't even hear what they were saying anymore. The world had blurred around her.

 _No way. It can't be. No. It's impossible! IT CAN'T BE! Cat Noir is NOT...no...it couldn't be...Adrien?_


	20. Chapter 19: I Didn't Mean to Hurt You(1)

**Author's Note: Thank you all for reading this story. This is the final chapter of the story, but I split it into two because of the length. I can't tell you how many versions of this I have written, so please leave a review and tell me what you think! I love hearing from you and I really hope you have enjoyed the story. I had a fun time writing it and, while I'm sad it's over, I can't bear giving you guys any more cliffhangers! Seriously, I hate writing them more than reading them!**

Marinette bolted from the room and back up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door and started digging through her desk. Her fingers shaking, she found the box with her miraculous earrings. She quickly put them on and Tikki appeared before her.

"Tikki! Is Adrien Cat Noir?" she wasted no time asking the question. Tikki smiled at her.

"Why don't you ask him, yourself, Marinette," she answered, her eyes looking off to the right. Marinette followed the kwami's gaze over to the trap door. She looked back at Tikki who nodded. Slowly Marinette climbed up and unlocked the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and poked her head outside. What she saw took her breath away.

Her rooftop was illuminated by candle light and rose petals covered the ground. She gasped in surprise. It was then that she saw Adrien, leaning against the railing, holding a red rose.

"Hi there, princess." he said gently, holding out the rose, "Did you see the news this evening?"

"Uh...yeah. Um...how...how…" suddenly she wasn't quite so sure about her assumption about his identity. "How did you get up here?"

"My kwami transformed me. It's quite easy with my staff." he shrugged as he said it. A black blob suddenly appeared next to him holding a piece of cheese.. Marinette recognized him as Plagg, the kwami of destruction _. Cat Noir's kwami.,_ she noted

"Hey, Ladybug! Tikki inside?" The kwami asked. Marinette nodded. "Thanks. I'll be inside if you need me, kid." Plagg said over his shoulder towards Adrien as the kwami floated towards Marinette.

"Please don't kill him," Plagg whispered to Marinette right before he disappeared into her room.

"Can we talk?" Adrien asked her as soon as Plagg was out of sight. Marinette climbed the rest of the way out onto the roof, making sure to leave the trapdoor open behind her.

"Are you...are you really Cat Noir?" she asked, even though the presence of Plagg basically told her so. But she needed to hear him say it.

"Yes, I am." he answered simply.

"I can't believe it," she said, shaking her head.

"Would I lie to you...bugaboo?" The way he said it, the softness, the trust behind it, even the slight pause before her nickname, it was, without a doubt, Cat Noir. Her heart started racing again, but then she noticed something

 _He's too calm about this. Why hasn't he asked me about being Ladybug? Why isn't he shocked? Wait...could he have known? Before that kiss?_

"How...How long have you known? About Ladybug."

"Well...um…about that…"

"How LONG?" she asked again, her blood beginning to boil.

"Since...um...about a week?" he reached over his shoulder, scratching his neck, "I kinda knew Saturday at the movies, you know, with...Alya and the others, but not for sure until Monday." _This whole time. He knew the whole time? It was all a lie?_

The anguish and pain of the last few days rose to a boil inside her as she accepted the truth. All the tears, all the torment, all of the wavering back and forth between Cat Noir and Adrien. Adrien asking her out, crouching on the ground like a cat. Comparing Zorro to Cat Noir. Cat Noir lifeless under that statue. It all raced towards the front of her mind and something snapped inside her. She glared at Adrien, closed the small gap between them and slapped him across the face with all the force she could summon. He looked back at her in shock, holding his face in his hand, the rose falling to the ground.

"What the hell, Adrien? You knew? All this time, you knew who I was and DIDN'T say anything? How could you?"

"Marinette…" he tried to reach out to hold her, but she pushed his hands away.

"You lied, Adrien! You lied about everything! You only asked me out because you knew I was Ladybug! Not because you liked Marinette!" she broke down in tears. "You didn't have a crush on me! You didn't want to get to know me more, you wanted Ladybug! I hate you, Adrien Agreste! I HATE YOU!"

She turned away from him and retreated to a corner of the rooftop. She sat down and pulled her knees to her forehead, burying her face in them.

"Mari…"

"Leave me alone!" she yelled, cutting him off. When Adrien began to speak again, he spoke with an intensity that she had never heard from either him or Cat.

"Marinette, I didn't lie! I wanted to get to know you better, just like I said. Yes, I had a crush on Ladybug, not Marinette, but Ladybug is a part of Marinette! Isn't that what a crush is? Loving the part of someone you see and wanting to get to know the rest of them?"

"And you know what happened, Marinette?" he continued, picking up speed and volume, "I fell in love all over again. I love _you_ , Marinette. The way you laugh at my corny jokes, which you never did as Ladybug mind you! The way you teased me over my favorite movie. Heck, when you grabbed me and basically forced me to dance with you! I had NEVER seen that side of you. And I FREAKING LOVED IT! I loved it all! I love you. Ladybug and Marinette! You're the same freakin' person! How could I not love you?"

"But...Ladybug is brave and..." whispered, still not looking at him.

"Ladybug is a mask!" He said, he sounded like he was about to burst. "Marinette is the real deal. A real person who has fears and insecurities, just like I do. I _know_ how much braver a mask can make you feel." he paused for a moment, taking several deep breaths and sounding calmer when he continued.

"When I'm Cat Noir," he admitted, "I don't have to worry about my father's reputation. I can be corny and flirtatious without reservation. He's a part of me, but not all of me. It's no surprise that it's the same for you, Marinette. I expected it to be that way."

Tears continued to slide down Marinette's cheeks, but she didn't dare look up at him. What he said made sense, but she still couldn't face him. It was too much. The last few days had been too much. She felt broken inside and had no clue how to put the pieces back together. She was mad, hurt, and very much confused.

"Marinette, look at me, please."

She couldn't move. Her heart was racing, her mind replaying all the events of the past week over and over again. She heard shuffling and through a crack in her arms saw that he was now sitting next to her, but facing the opposite way. She heard him sigh, as he leaned his back against the brick wall behind him. Then they both sat in silence.


	21. Chapter 20: I Didn't Mean To Hurt You(2)

They stayed there in silence for what seemed like an eternity, but the Adrien asked a question that took her completely off guard.

"Why...why did you kiss Cat Noir? I thought you hated him." he sounded hurt. _Of course he was. She basically cheated on Adrien since she didn't know he was Cat at the time._

"I never hated, Cat Noir. Not ever." she admitted, more to herself than him. "I...I think...no. I know, I loved him. I just...didn't realize it. But then, he was dead, or so I thought, and it all...kinda clicked, I think."

"Sounds like how I felt about Marinette. She was a good friend, but now I see that she was always more than that. I only had eyes for Ladybug, so I didn't even think about my feelings towards anyone else." There was a long pause before his next question.

"Do you….do you still love Adrien?" he prodded, but she wasn't sure how to answer that question.

"Does that really matter anymore? Cat Noir is Adrien."

"It matters to me. Just like me loving Marinette and not just Ladybug matters to you."

"Honestly, I don't know how I feel anymore. About Adrien or Cat Noir. So much has happened and I just...I don't know."

"Would you please look at me?" Marinette didn't move and there was a yet another long pause in their conversation.

"I can't imagine how much it hurt. Thinking Cat was gone." he noted. "I'm sorry I let you kiss me like that. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry. I just...kinda forgot for a moment. You know, that you thought I was two different people. I'm not mad, you know. " he chuckled. "I actually really liked that kiss."

She glanced up at him, but quickly looked away, blushing at the thought it was Adrien she had made out so passionately with.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, "This is...it's just...god dammit, why is it so hard to talk to you?" she hadn't really meant to say that last part out loud, but it was too late. She buried her face again in shame. "I'm so sorry, Adrien." she muttered.

"So...we are back to Marinette not being able to form a single sentence around me...awesome." Adrien said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Wait a minute! Would it be easier to talk to Cat?" he sounded almost giddy, deepening Marinette's embarrassment. "It would be wouldn't it! I have to admit, I'm a little jealous, but you've always been more comfortable around him."

"What? No, I mean...I am…" She tried to look at him, but still couldn't. She _was_ talking to Cat Noir, but without the mask, it all felt strange to her. It didn't feel like talking to the black cat with really bad puns. She moaned, wishing she wasn't so stupid. Adrien chuckled again before calling out for his kwami.

"Plagg, claws out. Now, will you look at me, bugaboo?"

Marinette slowly glanced up. Green, cat-like eyes surrounded by a black mask met hers. It was the face she knew so well, trusted so fully, and, she now knew, loved so dearly. Cat Noir. Her partner. Her friend. The friend that, for a moment, thought she would never see again. Never have the chance to tell him how much she really cared.

He held out his arms and she couldn't help but throw herself into them, bursting into a renewed spell of crying. She felt foolish, but Adrien had been right. It was easier with the mask. After all, she had been best friends with that mask much longer than she had been dating Adrien. His arms wrapped around her tightly.

"It's ok, milady. I'm right here." he whispered into her ear. "I've always been right here." She looked up at his face and knew he was telling her the truth. His face was so close to hers. He reached up and wiped away the tears on her face with his thumb. Then, slowly, he brought his lips to hers.

The sensation of kissing him chased out all the fears and hesitations inside her. Marinette closed her eyes and kissed him back with just as much passion as she had the other day. She let herself get lost in the kiss, reaching up and wrapping her hands around his neck. He pulled back briefly to whisper to her.

"I have an idea." He kissed her again before continuing. "Keep your eyes closed." She didn't know what he was planning, but she didn't care as long as he didn't stop kissing her. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. After a few more moments of kissing, he pulled back again.

"Plagg, claws in," he said quickly and, before she could even react, he was kissing her again. The kiss felt the exact same. The same passion. The same sweet lips, the same soft hair, the same strong arms holding her close. He tried to stop kissing her, but she would let him.

 _Not yet. I'm not ready yet._

She hadn't said it outloud, but he seem to grant her unspoken request. Finally, she was out of breath and she let him pull away.

"Open your eyes, milady." he said sweetly. Of course, when she did, she didn't see Cat Noir, but Adrien. That's when it clicked inside her. She gasped slightly. She could see him. Every aspect of Cat Noir was right there. And he had been there the whole time. Like he had said, Cat Noir was a part of Adrien and she felt stupid for not seeing it before.

Then all the confusion and pain from the last few days disappeared from inside her. The pieces that she didn't know how to reassemble clicked into place. This was Cat Noir. This was Adrien. And she was Marinette, who was also Ladybug. And all of her belonged to all of him. Nothing else that had happened mattered. Not as long as he was holding her.

"Kitty?" she asked.

"Yea?." he smiled at her.

"No more tv interviews," she said with a frown on her face. Adrien blinked in surprise, but then smiled.

"But I fixed it. I fixed everything, just for you, princess!"

"You also told the world Ladybug and Cat Noir are dating." she said flatly.

"But…" he looked like a sad, abandoned kitty-cat, "we are...aren't we?"

"Marinette and Adrien are, but I don't think Cat Noir asked Ladybug." The corner of her mouth curled up in a slight smile.

"Are you going to make me transform again?" He asked with a mischievous grin on his face. "Because we'll need more camembert if you do."

"I guess not," she almost laughed at his expression, "But maybe Cat Noir _should_ set the record straight the next time he sees Ladybug?"

"I'll be sure to tell him that, milady." he looked sad for a moment, but the continued. "Can you forgive me, princess? For being a such dumb pussy cat?"

"Hmm...I don't know. I think a few more kisses might be needed for that." She grinned at him, playfully.

"If that's what milady wants, that's what milady gets." Marinette couldn't help but giggle as he pulled her close. Getting ready for another round of kissing.

"I love you, kitty," she whispered.

"And I love you, bugaboo." He whispered back before starting to kiss her all over again.


	22. Epilogue:

"Morning, princess," he smiled as Marinette emerged from the bakery. He was leaning against the car door. "Ride or walk?"

"Walk. We aren't rushed." She smiled at him as he tapped on the car door, signalling to gorilla the decision. He walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her as they headed off to school.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked, slightly concerned knowing that they were about to upset a lot of teenage girls.

"Ready for what, exactly?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well….Chloe….Lila...that brown-hair girl two classrooms down…" Marinette laughed, making him do the same.

"Are you going to run off with any of them?" she asked, teasingly.

"Nope. I'm all yours." He confirmed, "But if I do, I will be yo-yoed to the top of the Eiffel Tower."

"So you were listening to me last night!"

"Did you think I wasn't?"

They started to turn the corner, the school was just a few more buildings away. Suddenly, Marinette pulled him back.

"Having second thoughts, love?" he asked, worried she was losing her nerve. But looking down a her, it was obvious she wasn't. Instead, she was grinning up at him.

"No, but a reassuring kiss would be nice." He happily obliged her, mindful not to get too caught up in the kiss seeing as they still needed to get to school.

Pulling back, he clasped Marinette's hand in his. Together, they turned the corner and approached the school. As they walked up the steps, Adrien could tell that the students hanging out front had already spied them and were whispering to each other.

"Who gets akumatized first over us dating, Chole or Lila?" he whispered in Marinette's ear as they walked up the stairs.

"I'm hoping for Lila. I would really like to punch her in the face for that photo."

"Me too. I bet before lunch."

"Nah...by the end of first period." She countered.

"Loser buys ice cream?"

"You're on, kitty!"

Adrien pushed open the school door and they stepped inside hand in hand. The sharp, piercing scream sudding told him that he had bet wrong.

"Well...at least I have a good allowance." he commented, making them both laugh.


	23. Special Announcement and Author's Note

**Hey guys! I just wanted to update you all on a few things that are happening.**

 **First, I Didn't Mean to Hurt You is being translated into FRENCH! Lily-Jolie Evans Potter is doing the translation and will be publishing it here on . I've added her to my favorite authors list so be sure to check her out! I don't read French, but considering that Miraculous Ladybug is a French cartoon, I find this very exciting and it's an honor to have my story shared with the French community.**

 **Second, if you haven't noticed I've started another Miraculous FanFiction titled The Cat-astrophic Adventures of Emma Agreste. It's not a sequel by any means, but it's set a little over a year after this story ends. I think you all would like it. It's written in the same style as I Didn't Mean To Hurt You and is currently a work in progress so be sure to follow it and get all the updates!**

 **Finally, I wanted to let you guys know that I am also on WattPad! ( lunettependragon) I love writing my fanfiction on here because of the great community, but I also publish them over on Wattpad usually after I finish them. I re-edit my stories once they are done so the Wattpad versions are a little better over there for all you grammar loving people. I am also working on my original novel over there (Gawain and the Lady's Maid) that I would like to invite you to read. It's a huge project that has been in the planning stages for YEARS! But now, I'm finally getting it written and will be posting updates as I go over on Wattpad. It's not fanfiction, so it will never been seen here!**

 **Alright, sorry if I disappointed you with an author's note instead of a new chapter, but there is more Miraculous to read on my other story!**


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